BIB 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


dlben  of  Hcbkvement 


fit  tbe  (Breat  Southwest 


PIO  PICO,  LAST  MEXICAN  GOVERNOR  OF  CALIFORNIA 


Men  of  Achievement 


IN   THE 


Great  Southwest 


Illustrated 


A  STORY  OF  PIONEER  STRUGGLES 

DURING    EARLY    DAYS    IN    LOS    ANGELES    AND    SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA 


With  Biographies,  Heretofore  Unpublished  Facts,  Anecdotes  and  Incidents 

in  the  Lives  of  the  Builders 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

LOS  ANGELES  TIMES 
1904 


INTRODUCTION. 

from  here  because  of  the  absence  of  storms  at  sea,  fogs  along  the  coast,  or  dangerous  bars  to  cross,  than  from 
any  other  point  on  the  western  coast  of  America,  north  or  south. 

Situated  thus  on  the  shortest  line  between  ocean  and  ocean,  midway  along  the  American  coast,  as  near  the 
Orient  as  any  other  point,  with  half  a  dozen  lines  of  railroad  connecting  with  the  East  and  with  the  northern 
coast  of  the  Pacific,  Los  Angeles  occupies  a  vantage  ground  for  manufacturing  and  for  domestic  and  foreign 
trade  unmatched  from  Bering  Strait  to  Cape  Horn. 

The  development  in  the  past  has  been  most  remarkable.  To  one  who  carefully  considers  the  advantages  of 
the  city,  the  future  must  appear  secure.  What  has  been  done  is  a  prophecy  and  an  earnest  of  what  will  continue 
to  take  place  to  the  end  of  the  new  century,  with  all  its  wonderful  promise  of  achievement,  whose  magnificence 
will  eclipse  all  the  greatest  accomplishments  of  humanity  in  all  the  ages  that  have  gone  before. 

G.  W.  I'.URTON. 


GLIMPSES  OF  SPANISH  HOMES— EARLY  DAYS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


SUNLAND  TALES  OF  CABALLEROS  AND  PIONEERS. 

BY  G.  W.  BURTON. 


CHAPTER  I. 

BEFORE  THE  DAWN. 

Before  the  footprints  of  a  white  man  had  been  impressed  upon  the  soil,  or  a  ray  of  civilizing-  light  had 
been  shed  upon  the  dark  night  of  savage  life,  the  site  where  Los  Angeles  now  stands  was  occupied  by  one  of  the 
numerous  Indian  villages  which  nestled  in  the  choice  corners  of  the  region.  The  Spanish  missionaries  who  first 
visited  the  spot  found  about  300  of  the  aborigines  gathered  in  the  huts — abodes  of  squalor — on  the  flat  lying 
along  Aliso  street  between  Los  Angeles  street  and  the  river.  Their  name  for  the  place  was  Yang-na.  They 
were  of  the  most  wretched  type  of  human  beings,  seemingly  of  Aleut,  Mongol  or  South  Sea  Island  origin,  rather 
than  of  the  intelligent  Aztec  stock  of  Mexico,  or  of  the  warlike  and  manly  Indian  tribes  of  other  parts  of  North 
America.  The  Spanish  missionary  scarcely  tried  to  acquire  any  of  the  many  languages,  or  dialects,  spoken  by 
these  people,  as  not  more  than  200  to  500  of  them  spoke  the  same  tongue.  From  the  days  of  Herodotus  or  Baron 


SAN  GABRIEL  MISSION,  NEAR  LOS  ANGELES. 
Founded  1771. 

Mtmchausen,  visitors  to  foreign  climes  and  chroniclers  of  strange  peoples  and  scenes  have  indulged  freely  in 
the  pleasures  of  the  imagination.  The  mission  fathers  were  no  exception  to  this  rule.  What  they  wrote  may  be 
taken  always  with  more  or  less  allowance.  Fortunately,  it  is  not  a  matter  of  great  moment  whether  future  ages 
receive  exact  impressions  regarding  the  primeval  inhabitants  of  California. 

Columbus  landed  on  the  island  which  he  named  San  Salvador,  in  October,  1492;  Fernando  Cortez,  at  Vera 
Cruz  in  1519.  Five  years  later  he  mentions  California  as  a  great  island  of  fabulous  wealth,  in  a  report  to 
the  King  of  Spain.  Ten  years  later  than  this,  Fortuno  Ximines  sailed  from  the  west  coast  of  Mexico  to  explore 
this  island.  The  vessel  never  got  farther  north  than  Cape  San  Lucas.  The  next  year  Cortez  sailed  up  the 
Gulf  of  California  in  person.  Four  years  still  later,  Ulloa  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  River.  It  was 
reserved  for  Juan  Rodriguez  Cabrillo  to  set  foot  on  the  soil  of  Alta  California.  He  entered  the  bay  which  he 
called  San  Diego  in  the  summer  of  1542,  almost  exactly  half  a  century  after  Columbus  first  saw  the  shores  of 
the  New  World.  A  few  months  later  he  came  up  the  coast  and  anchored  in  San  Pedro  Bay.  Three  and  a  half 
centuries  were  destined  to  pass  away  before  the  light  of  civilization  should  shed  its  rays  over  this  land 


8  MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 

In  January,  1769,  a  small  vessel,  the  San  Carlos,  sailed  from  La  Paz,  near  Cape  San  Lucas,  for  Alta  Califor- 
nia. The  expedition  was  under  Jose  de  Galvez  and  Caspar  de  Portola.  With  them  was  the  far-famed  Tunipcro 
Serra,  a  devoted  and  eloquent  priest  of  the  Franciscan  order.  In  March,  1769,  this  expedition  landed  at  San 
Diego,  and  proceeded  to  found  the  first  mission  in  California.  About  the  middle  of  July  of  tin's  year,  Portola 


(1)     MISSION  SAN  LUIS  REY. 


(3) 


(2)     MISSION  SANTA  BARBARA,  WITH  GARDEN. 
RUINS  OF  SAN  JUAN  CAPISTRANO. 


left  San  Diego  with  a  company  of  sixty-four  persons,  soldiers,  mule-drivers,  a  few  Indians  and  two  priests.  On 
the  second  day  of  August  the  Indian  village  of  Yang-na  was  reached.  This  day  is  the  feast  of  Our  Lady  of  the 
Angels.  Hence,  the  place  was  named  Nuestra  Senora  de  Los  Angeles.  In  177*1  a  company  from  the  Mission 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST.  9 

San  Diego  founded  the  Mission  San  Gabriel — not  the  present  one,  but  the  old  mission  on  the  banks  of  the  San 
Gabriel  River,  near  La  Honda. 

In  September,  1781,  the  Governor  of  Alta  California,  Felipe  de  Neve,  came  from  the  San  Gabriel  Mission 
to  the  Indian  village,  Yang-na,  with  a  company  to  found  a  pueblo,  or  town,  to  be  called  by  the  name  already 
bestowed  on  it  by  the  Spaniards,  El  Pueblo  de  Nuestra  Senora,  la  Reina  de  Los  Angeles,  (the  town  of  Our 
Lady,  the  Queen  of  the  Angels.)  The  records  show  there  were  eleven  men,  eleven  women  and  twenty-two  chil- 
dren in  the  party.  The  site  had  already  been  laid  out  with  the  Plaza  in  the  center  and  extending  three  miles  in 
every  direction.  Lots  were  assigned  the  settlers  around  the  Plaza,  and  agricultural  lands  in  outside  territory. 
Of  the  twenty-two  adults  in  the  new  colony,  nine  were  Indians,  eight  mulattoes,  two  negroes,  two  Spaniards 
and  one  half-breed,  half  Spanish,  half  Indian.  When  the  nineteenth  century  dawned  there  were  seventy  families, 
aggregating  315  souls,  in  the  pueblo. 

During  the  next  twenty  years  all  Spanish-America  broke  out  in  revolt  against  the  mother  country,  and  the 
numerous  republics  reaching  from  Mexico  to  Chile  and  Argentina  sprang  into  being.  In  1822  the  Spanish  set- 
tlers in  California  were  informed  that  a  revolution  had  taken  place  in  Mexico;  that  the  Spanish  rule  was  at  an 
end,  and  that  Iturbide  was  Emperor  of  Mexico. 


TYPICAL  SCENE  ON  A  CALIFORNIA  CATTLE  RANCH. 


In  1830  the  population  of  the  pueblo  is  set  down  at  about  1200.  The  colonists  raised  cattle  and  sheep,  grew 
crops  of  wheat  which  supplied  most  of  the  missions,  and  for  a  few  years  made  money  out  of  hemp.  This  last 
industry,  however,  was  soon  overdone  and  had  to  be  abandoned.  By  this  time  a  few  Englishmen  and  Americans 
began  to  come  into  the  colony.  One  of  the  first  Americans,  and  one  of  the  most  enterprising,  was  Don  Abel 
Stearns,  who  arrived  from  Boston.  In  1831  there  was  a  small  rebellion  to  depose  the  Governor,  set  up  by  the 
government  of  Mexico.  Among  the  signers  of  the  revolutionary  manifesto  was  this  Don  Abel  Stearns,  Pio 
I'ico,  Juan  Bandini  and  Jose  Antonio  Carillo,  the  last  three  names  being  familiar  in  Los  Angeles  at  the  present 
day.  Stearns  married  one  of  the  Bandini  family,  and  lived  until  some  time  after  1870,  leaving  vast  tracts  of  land 
in  Los  Angeles  county,  some  of  them  lying  in  what  is  now  Orange  county,  and  known  until  within  a  few  years 
as  the  Stearns  Ranches.  He  was  by  far  the  richest  man  in  Southern  California,  possessed  of  much  enterprise 
and  business  sagacity.  Among  other  things,  he  introduced  a  strain  of  horses  superior  to  the  "broncos"  of 
Mexican  origin.  He  built  one  of  the  first  two-story  business  structures  in  the  city,  the  Arcadia  Block,  on  Los 
Angeles  street,  at  the  head  of  Aliso^  street.  It  was  built  of  brick,  and  is  still  standing.  This  was  erected  about 
1865.  Dona  Arcadia  de  Stearns  "later  married  the  late  Col.  R.  S.  Baker,  who  built  the  Baker  Block,  about  1875, 


PIONEERS-SOME  HERE,  SOME  GONE   BEFORE. 


*Chas.  Ducommon 
*Wm.  Lacy. 
*M.  S.  Baker. 
T.  D.  Mott. 


J.  M.  Guinn. 
*O.  W.  Childs. 
*Isaac  Lankershim. 
*J.  de  Barth  Shorb. 


Erskine  M.  Ross. 
*P.  Beaudry. 

T.  A.  Carey. 
*John  E.  Hollenbeck. 


*Gen.  Phineas  Banning. 

G.  W.  Burton. 

H.  D.  Barrows. 
*John  G.  Downey. 


'Deceased, 


MHN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


11 


and  this  is  still  an  ornament  to  the  city.  Mrs.  Baker  still  survives,  a  witness  of  all  the  great  growth  of  the  city  which 
was  so  small  at  the  time  of  her  birth.  She  enjoys  the  affectionate  esteem  of  a  very  long  list  of  friends.  In  her 
earlier  days  she  and  her  two  sisters,  Mrs.  Charles  Johnson  and  Mrs.  Winston,  were  stately  ladies,  whose  personal 
beauty  and  dignity  of  bearing  would  have  won  them  distinction  in  any  imperial  court  of  Europe. 

Before  Abel  Stearns,  had  come  Joseph  Chapman,  in  1818.  He  taught  the  people  of  Los  Angeles  a  good  deal 
in  the  way  of  mechanical  arts.  He  built  a  grist  mill  and  a  schooner  used  by  the  mission  fathers  in  otter  hunting 
among  the  islands  off  the  coast.  Another  early  settler  was  Stephen  C.  Foster,  an  American.  He  was  a  graduate 
of  Yale  College,  and  organized  the  first  permanent  system  of  public  education  in  the  community.  A  little  later 
came  John  Temple.  His  brother,  F.  P.  F.  Temple,  followed  in  1841.  John  built  the  southerly  portion  of  Tem- 
ple Block  in  1857,  as  it  now  stands.  Later  he  built  what  used  to  be  the  old  Courthouse,  where  the  Bullard  Building 
now  stands.  It  was  used  at  first  as  a  market.  William  Wolfskill  of  Kentucky  arrived  in  Los  Angeles  in  1831, 
married  one  of  the  Lugo  family,  and  planted  a  vineyard  where  the  Arcade  Depot  now  stands.  In  1841  he 
planted  four  acres  to  oranges,  which  by  1886  had  grown  to  be  an  orchard  of  thirty  acres.  The  same  year 
arrived  Jonathan  Trumbull  Warner  from  Connecticut.  He  was  of  a  commanding  figure,  six  feet  four  inches, 
perhaps.  The  Spanish-speaking  people  called  him  Don  Juan  Larg°>  because  of  his  great  height.  Until  near 


COWBOYS  PREPARING  FOR  THE  "RODEO." 

the  close  of  the  century,  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  development  of  Los  Angeles.  Among  the  later  arrivals 
of  Americans  in  the  last  decade  of  Mexican  rule  who  left  their  impress  on  the  history  of  the  country  were  Henry 
Mellus,  coming  in  1835,  and  his  brother,  Francis,  who  followed  a  few  years  later.  John  Forster,  an  Englishman, 
came  in  1836.  His  name  is  connected  with  the  ex-Mission  San  Juan  Capistrano  Rancho,  where  his  son,  Marco, 
still  resides.  The  other  son,  Juan,  died  a  few  years  ago  in  Los  Angeles. 

The  first  party  of  "tourist"  settlers  came  in  1841.  They  were  led  by  the  late  Horn  B.  D.  Wilson,  known 
among  the  Spaniards  as  Don  Benito  Wilson ;  John  Rowland,  William  Workman,  and  D.  W.  Alexander.  Wilson 
settled  in  San  Gabriel  Valley,  where  he  developed  a  fine  ranch  property,  which  is  now  enjoyed  by  his  widow 
and  two  daughters.  He  was  in  every  sense  a  good  citizen,  and  served  the  public  well  in  many  capacities.  Row- 
land and  Workman  settled  at  Puente,  where  their  descendants  still  own  property.  One  of  these,  William  R. 
Rowland,  of  this  city,  developed  the  first  oil  wells  in  Southern  California  on  the  Puente  Rancho,  and  now  enjoys 
a  very  handsome  income  from  this  source. 

In  1840  the  population  in  and  around  Los  Angeles  was  estimated  at  about  2300  people,  of  whom  550  were 
Indians.  There  were  forty  Americans,  about  ten  English,  and  a  few  French  and  German  people  among  the 
population. 


12 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


The  independence  of  Texas,  won  in  1836,  irritated  Mexico  against  the  United  States  for  the  reason  that  the 
result  in  the  Lone  Star  State  was  caused  by  its  colonization  by  Americans.  Bad  blood  existed  between  the  two 
nations,  culminating  in  war  ten  years  later.  The  story  of  the  years  between  1840  and  1846  belongs  to  the  transi- 
tion period. 

The  life  of  these  early  California  pioneers,  whether  Spanish,  Mexican,  American  or  other  nationality,  was  prim- 
itive in  the  extreme.  It  was  very  much  like  that  of  the  classical  heroes  of  Homer  and  Virgil,  or  that  of  the  Biblical 
patriarchs.  Agriculture  was  sporadic  and  crude;  a  small  amount  of  wheat,  little  vineyards  and  smaller  orchards, 
some  of  oranges,  some  of  deciduous  fruits,  was  all  that  was  attempted.  It  was  a  pastoral  age,  and  the  cattle  on 
the  plains  and  hills  were  raised  and  slaughtered  for  their  hides  and  tallow.  There  was  no  market  for  anything 
else.  The  people  as  a  rule  were  honest,  law-abiding,  sober,  but  not  industrious.  They  were  kindly  in  their  rela- 
tions one  to  another,  and  hospitable  to  strangers,  as  well  as  to  those  "to  the  manor  born."  They  lived  mostly 
in  the  open  air  and  on  horseback.  It  required  but  little  labor  to  attend  the  flocks,  and  horses  were  cheaper  than 
dirt.  The  annual  sales  of  hides,  tallow  and  wool  brought  in  abundance  for  the  few  wants  of  the  simple  people. 
Life  was  free,  easy,  careless,  poetical  and  enchanting.  Highly-civilized  people  of  today,  with  colossal  fortunes, 
are  as  a  rule  far  less  healthy  and  far  less  happy.  The  "gringo"  took  life  as  easily  as  his  native-born  neighbor. 
He  married  into  the  families  of  the  country,  and  the  only  difference  was  in  his  greater  providence  and  greater 
shrewdness,  by  which  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  possession  of  most  of  the  best  ranches  before  the  second  genera- 
tion came  to  manhood.  Few  of  the  Spanish  or  Mexican  families  are  found  now  with  any  great  portion  of  the 
wealth  of  this  day  of  great  things  in  Southern  California. 


ALCALDES,  OR  MAYORS,  OF  LOS  ANGELES. 


Spanish. 


1788 

1789 

1790 

1791 

1792 

1793-5 

1796 

'797 

1798 

1799 

1800 

1802 

1X09 

1810 

1 8 16-8 

1819-20 

r82i 


Jose   Vanegas    (an   Indian) 
Jose  Sinova 
Mariano  Verdtigo 
Francisco    Reyes 
Jose  Vanegas 
Francisco    Reyes 
Jose  Vanegas 
Manuel    Arellano 
Guillermo    Soto 
Francisco   Serrano 
Jcaqnin   Higtiero 
Mariano  Verdngo 
Guillermo  Soto 
Francisco  Avila 
Antonio   Maria   Lugo 
Anastasio   Avila 
Anastasio  Carrillo 


1850 


Mexican. 

1822-3  Manuel   Gutierrez 

1824  Encarnacion   Urguideo 

1825  Jose  Maria  Avila 

1826  Claudio  Lopez 

1827  Guillermo  Cota 

1828  J.  A.   Carrillo 

1829  Guillermo   Cota 

1830  Tiburcio  Tapia 

1831  Vicente  Sanchez 

1832  Manuel   Dominguez 

1833  Jose  A.  Carrillo 

1834  Jose  Perez 

'835        Francisco  Javier  Alvarado 
Dominguez   Romero 

1836  Manuel   Requena 
Tiburcio  Tapia 

1837  Gil     Abarra 


Jose   L.    Sepulveda 

1838  Luis  Arena 
Jose    Perez 

1839  Tiburcio  Tapia 
Manuel  Dominguez 

1840  Santiago  Arguello 

1841-3    (No  Ayuntamiento,  or  City  Council ) 
i«44        .Manuel   Requena 
Tiburcio    Tapia 

1845  Vicente  Sanchez 
Jose    I,.    Sepulveda 

1846  Juan  Gallardo 
Jose    I,.    Sepulveda 

1847  Jose    Salazar 
Enrico  Avila 

1848  Vicente   Guerrero 

1849  Jose    del    Carmen   Lugo 
Jose    L.    Sepulveda 


First    Mayors    Under    American    Rule. 
Abel    Stearns  Ignacio   Del   Valle 


It  will  be  noted  that  there  are  several  breaks  in  the  list. 
early  days,  and  proceedings  were  often  irregular. 


There   were   many  political   upheavals     in     these 


PIONEERS -SOME  HERE,  SOME  GONE  BEFORE. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


13 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  TRANSITION  PERIOD. 

The  revolt  of  Texas  from  Mexico  in  1836,  and  the  persistent  proposal  of  that  new  republic  to  become  a  part 
of  the  United  States,  created  much  irritation  between  the  two  countries.  Mexico  made  it  plain  that  the  admis- 
sion of  Texas  as  a  State  of  the  Union  must  be  met  by  war.  This  did  not  deter  the  United  States,  but  created  a 
conservative  policy,  the  aim  of  which  was  to  put  the  burden  of  aggression  on  Mexico.  At  the  same  time,  the 
administration  at  Washington  encouraged  rather  than  repressed  any  movement  short  of  actual  hostilities  which 
might  provoke  the  smaller  republic  to  declare  war.  England  and  France  were  looking  with  covetous  eyes  on 
that  vast  region  of  country  lying  between 
the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  then  claimed  by  Mexico.  The 
Monroe  Doctrine  dictated  to  the  United 
States  the  policy  of  permitting  no  non- 
American  nation  to  become  master  of  so 
commanding  a  position  on  her  western  bor- 
ders and  in  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Command- 
ers of  American  fleets  in  the  Pacific  had 
confidential  instructions  from  Washington 
as  to  what  action  they  should  take  in 
emergencies. 

Tn  1842  Commodore  Jones  sailed  sud- 
denly from  Callao,  Peru,  and,  arriving  at 
Monterey,  landed  a  body  of  marines  and 
ran  up  "Old  Glory"  in  place  of  the  Mexican 
flag.  In  a  few  days  he  found  that  he  had 
made  a  mistake,  and  replaced  the  Mexican 
colors  in  their  proper  place,  apologizing  for 
his  hostile  act.  In  1846  John  C.  Fremont, 
then  a  captain  in  the  army  of  the  United 
States,  attached  to  the  Topographical  En- 
gineer Corps,  came  into  California,  over- 
land, with  about  sixty  followers.  He  pro- 
ceeded to  Monterey,  and  informed  Gen. 
Castro,  who  had  command  of  the  Mexican 
forces  in  the  territory,  that  his  purpose  was 
scientific  exploration.  Castro  became  sus- 
picious of  the  designs  of  the  Americans, 
and  ordered  them  to  leave  the  country. 
He  assembled  a  company  of  200  men 
to  enforce  his  commands.  Fremont  went 
north,  but  on  the  heels  of  this  event  came 
Lieut.  Gillespie  from  Washington  with 

dispatches  for  Fremont,  which  caused  the  latter  to  retrace  his  steps.  He  halted  near  Sacramento.  In 
June,  1846,  a  little  handful  of  Americans,  about  thirty  in  number,  assembled  at  Sonoma,  formed  what 
they  called  the  "California  Republic,"  ran  up  the  famous  Bear  flag,  and  took  Gen.  Vallejo  prisoner,  but  a 
month  later  threw  themselves  on  Fremont  for  protection.  In  August  news  reached  California  that  Mexico  had  de- 
clared war  against  the  United  States  on,  May  13.  In  June  this  news  had  reached  Commodore  Sloat  at  Mazatlan. 
He  at  once  hurried  to  Monterey.  July  7  Sloat  landed  a  party,  proceeded  to  the  town,  hauled  down  the  Mexican 
flag  and  ran  up  the  "Stars  and  Stripes,"  this  time  to  stay.  Soon  after.  Commodore  Stockton  succeeded  Sloat. 
Fremont  had  already  gone  to  San  Diego  to  cut  off  Castro's  army  from  escaping  into  Lower  California.  August 
IT,  Stockton,  who  had  sailed  south,  set  out  from  San  Pedro  for  Los  Angeles,  his  men  hauling  their  cannon  by 


OLD  SPANISHIMAP  REPRESENTING  CALIFORNIA  AS  AN  ISLAND. 


14 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


hand.  Two  days  later  Fremont  arrived  from  San  Diego.  There  was  no  resistance,  and  the  Americans  estab- 
lished headquarters  on  Main  street,  where  the  St.  Charles  Hotel  now  stands.  Stockton  organized  a  military 
company,  which  he  put  in  command  of  Don  Benito  Wilson.  A  few  skirmishes  took  place ;  Wilson  surrendered 
to  a  party  of  Mexican  partisans  out  on  the  Chino  Ranch;  Gillespie  fled  to  San  Pedro,  spiked  his  guns  and  flung 
them  into  the  bay.  These  Wilson  later  took  from  the  water  and  sank  them  in  the  street  where  his  store  was,  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Commercial  streets.  Two  of  them  are  still  there.  Three  Mexicans,  Jose  Maria  Flores, 
Jose  Antonio  Carrillo  and  Andres  Pico,  brother  of  Gov.  Pio  Pico,  organized  a  revolt.  Stockton  returned  from 
the  north  with  800  men.  December  5,  1846,  Gen.  Stephen  W.  Kearney  came  from  the  East  to  San  Diego.  He 
led  about  1600  men.  A  little  battle  ensued  with  Andres  Pico  and  his  native  Californians,  in  which  the  Ameri- 
cans were  worsted.  Dr.  John  S.  Griffin  was  of  this  party.  Later  he  became  a  citizen  of  Los  Angeles,  where  he 
arose  to  much  prominence,  and  died  here  only  a  few  years  ago,  highly  respected. 

Kearney  came  out  with  a  commission  making  him  Governor  of  the  Territory,  superseding  Stockton  and 
Fremont.  Stockton  had  sailed  to  San  Diego,  where  he  met  Kearney,  and  they  organized  a  joint  expedition  to 
recapture  Los  Angeles.  A  skirmish  took  place  at  the  San  Gabriel  River  between  this  force  and  some  500  native 
Californians.  Next  day  another  skirmish  took  place  about  two  miles  from  Los  Angeles,  and  January  TO,  1847, 
Stockton  and  Kearney  entered  the  city,  victorious  over  the  revolting  native  forces.  Gillespie  ran  up  the  flag  at 
the  old  headquarters  on  Main  street,  which  he  had  abandoned  a  few  months  before.  A  plan  for  a  fort  on  the 
hill  where  the  High  School  now  stands  was  made  by  Kearney's  orders,  from  which  the  hill  was  long  known  as 
Fort  Hill,  and  the  street  leading  south  was  known  as  Fort  street,  until  about  1890,  when  it  was  renamed 
Broadway. 

A  dispute  arose  between  Stockton  and  Kearney  as  to  which  was  in  command.  Stockton  held  his  ground,  and 
appointed  Fremont,  who  had  come  back  from  the  north,  civil  Governor  of  California.  This  was  June  19,  1847. 
Kearney  withdrew  to  San  Diego,  to  await  further  orders  from  Washington.  In  less  than  two  months  Col. 
Richard  B.  Mason  arrived  from  Washington,  bearing  dispatches  which  set  at  rest  all  question  as  to  Kearney's 
supremacy.  Fremont  quarreled  with  Mason,  and  was  ordered  to  Washington,  where  he  was  tried  before  a  court- 
martial  and  found  guilty  of  disobedience. 


PALM  DRIVE,  JOHN  SINGLETON'S  GROUNDS,  LOS  ANGELES, 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST.  15 


CHAPTER   III. 

EARLY  DAYS  UNDER  "OLD  GLORY." 

Fremont  held  sway  from  January  to  March,  1847,  when  Kearney  came  to  be  recognized  as  in  command, 
and  Col.  St.  George  Cooke,  who  had  led  the  "Mormon  Battalion"  from  Missouri,  was  put  in  charge  of  affairs 
at  Los  Angeles.  In  May,  Cooke  was  succeeded  by  Col.  J.  B.  Stevenson,  who  had  come  into  the  Territory  with 
Kearney.  He  led  a  regiment  of  New  York  volunteers.  Many  followers  of  Fremont,  Cooke  and  Stevenson 
remained  permanently  in  Los  Angeles.  Kearney  appointed  Stephen  C.  Foster  Alcalde,  or  Mayor,  of  the  city. 
Don  Abel  Stearns  was  City  Assessor  and  Tax  Collector.  The  native  Californians  so  resented  the  action  of  Kear- 
ney that  they  resigned  in  a  body  from  the  Ayuntamiento,  or  City  Council.  The  two  Americans  administered  the 
affairs  of  the  city  as  best  they  could.  They  ordered  a  general  cleaning-up  of  the  pueblo,  formed  a  "chain-gang" 
out  of  the  recalcitrant  element,  and  put  the  water  system  in  better  shape.  In  May,  1849,  an  election  was  held 
for  a  new  Council,  John  Temple  being  the  only  American  elected.  Next  year  Don  Abel  Stearns  was  the  first  reg- 
ularly-elected Mayor  under  American  rule.  B.  D.  Wilson  and  D.  W.  Alexander  were  elected  members  of  the 
Council. 

In  1849  the  first  Legislature  under  American  rule  divided  California  into  counties,  one  being  called  Los 
Angeles,  which  embraced  all  the  territory  lying  between  the  Tehachepi  Mountains,  San  Diego  county,  the  ocean 
and  the  Colorado  River.  In  April,  1850,  the  first  election  of  county  officers  under  American  sway  took  place. 
Augustin  Olivera  was  elected  Judge:  P>.  D.  Wilson,  Clerk;  Benjamin  Hayes,  Attorney;  J.  R.  Conway,  Surveyor; 
Manuel  Garfias,  Treasurer;  Antonio  F.  Coronel,  Assessor;  Ignacio  Del  Valle,  Recorder;  George  T.  Burrill, 
Sheriff;  Charles  B.  Cullen,  Coroner.  Few  in  number  as  the  Americans  were  in  the  community,  they  knew  how 
to  "do  politics,"  as  shown  in  the  list  above.  The  total  value  of  real  property  in  the  county,  as  shown  by  the 
assessment  rolls,  was  $748,606.  The  improvements  were  assessed  at  $301,947,  and  the  personal  property,  mostly 
herds,  and  flocks,  at  $1,183,898 — broadly  speaking,  as  much  as  the  real  estate  and  improvements  together.  Until 
after  the  discovery  of  gold  at  Slitter's  Mill,  Los  Angeles  had  been  the  largest  city  in  the  State.  This  was  in 
the  spring  of  1848.  This  discovery  brought  an  influx  of  80,000  people  into  California  in  1849.  ^n'  three  years 
$215,000,000  in  gold  was  taken  out,  and  armies  of  people  flocked  to  California  by  way  of  the  Isthmus,  around 
Cape  Horn  and  acros,s  the  plains.  Los  Angeles  fell  to  a  place  of  minor  importance  as  compared  with  San 
Francisco,  Sacramento  and  other  cities  in  the  mining  sections  of  the  country. 

The  first  constitutional  convention  in  California  met  in  Monterey,  in  August,  1849.  The  Los  Angeles  dele- 
gates were  Abel  Stearns,  J.  A.  Carrillo,  Stephen  C.  Foster  and  Manuel  Dominguez.  The  form  of  constitution 
adopted  provided  for  the  exclusion  of  slavery  in  the  new  State.  After  a  hard  fight  in  Congress,  California  was 
admitted  to  the  L^nion,  with  its  anti-slavery  provision,  September  9,  1850. 

Under  the  Spanish  and  Mexican  governments,  all  the  land  in  the  pueblo  belonged  to  the  public  domain  except- 
ing as  it  was  disposed  of  to  private  owners  by  the  Ayuntamiento,  or  Council.  The  system  of  passing  title  and  of 
keeping  records  was  very  crude.  The  first  survey  of  the  city  lands  had  been  made  by  Gen.  Ord,  then  Lieut. 
E.  O.  C.  Ord,  in  1849.  H£  'aid  out  the  streets  and  lots  now  forming  the  center  of  the  city,  as  far  south  as  Pico 
street,  north  to  where  River  Station  now  is.  east  to  the  river  and  west  to  the  hills,  cutting  Pico  street  at  Figueroa. 

At  the  time  of  the  admission  of  California  into  the  Union,  in  1850,  the  city  of  Los  Angeles  contained  1610 
inhabitants,  and  the  great  territory  known  as  Los  Angeles  county,  3530.  It  had  been  larger,  but  the  gold  excite- 
ment had  drawn  many  away  to  the  mines  in  the  central  portion  of  the  State. 

All  attempts  at  public  instruction  up  to  1850  had  been  few  and  unsuccessful.  During  the  next  three  years 
several  attempts  were  made  to  establish  a  school,  but  not  until  1853  was  there  a  determined  attempt  in  this  direc- 
tion made.  In  the  tax  levy  of  the  previous  year  an  item  for  schools  was  introduced,  and  three  school  commis- 
sioners were  appointed  by  the  Council.  For  some  years  after  this,  little  progress  was  made,  but  in  1854  Stephen 
C.  Foster  was  elected  Mayor,  and,  being  a  man  of  high  intellectual  attainments,  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  and 
of  patriotic  impulses,  he  gave  earnest  attention  to  providing  proper  public  instruction  for  the  youth  of  the  city. 
The  next  year  a  school  was  erected  at  the  corner  of  Spring  and  Second  streets,  where  the  Bryson  building  now 
stands.  It  was  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  and  cost  about  $6000.  It  served  for  over  thirty  years  as  the  principal 
school  of  the  city.  Later  a  second  school  was  put  up  north  of  the  Plaza  on  Bath  street,  now  Olivera  street.  This 
was  also  used  for  school  purposes  until  the  great  "boom"  took  place,  about  1886.  Many  of  the  prominent  men 
of  the  city  of  the  present  day,  as  well  as  women  prominent  in  society,  were  educated  in  these  two  schools, 
Foster  was  a  kind  of  pioneer  "Pooh-Bah,"  being  Superintendent  of  Schools  as  well  as  Mayor. 


16  MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 

The  year  in  which  California  became  a  State,  Theodore  Foster  took  steps  to  give  the  citizens  of  Los  Angeles 
a  paper.  It  made  its  first  appearance — but  not  under  Foster — May  17,  1851.  It  bore  the  Spanish  name,  "La 
Estrella"-  -"The  Star."  It  was  published  in  Spanish  and  English.  This  did  not  last  long.  The  two  languages 
were  separated,  and  Los  Angeles  had  two  papers.  In  1851  William  H.  Rand  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
The  Star.  He  returned  East  after  a  short  time,  and  became  a  famous  publisher  in  Chicago  as  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Rand  &  McNallv.  Henry  Hamilton  became  owner  of  The  Star  in  1856,  and  continued  to  publish 
an  excellent  weekly  paper,  with  a  short  intermission,  beginning  in  1864,  until  1873,  when  he  sold  the  paper  to 
Maj.  Ben  C.  Truman,  who  conducted  it  until  the  time  of  its  demise.  Col.  John  O.  Wheeler  published  a  weekly 
paper- -The  Southern  Californian — in  an  old  adobe  on  First  street,  between  Spring  and  Broadway,  near  where 
The  Times  Building  now  is.  About  this  time,  William  H.  Workman  came  to  the  city  from  Missouri,  and  set 
type  on  Col.  Wheeler's  paper. 

The  first  effort  crowned  with  any  kind  of  success  in  establishing  a  Protestant  church  in  Los  Angeles  was 
in  1859.  The  first  Protestant  services  of  which  any  record  remains  were  held  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Brier,  a  Methodist 
who  was  passing  through  the  city  in  1850.  This  service  was  held  in  a  private  house  where  the  Bullard  building 
now  stands.  In  1853  Rev.  Adam  Bland  was  sent  out  by  the  Methodist  church  to  found  a  society  in  Los  Angeles. 
Mr.  Bland  remained  in  active  ministerial  work  in  and  about  Los  Angeles  for  many  years.  In  1854  Rev.  James 
Woods,  a  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  faith,  came  to  Los  Angeles.  After  a  year  of  effort  he  organized  a  congre- 
gation, over  which  he  presided  for  some  years.  In  1859  Rev.  W.  E.  Boardman,  also  a  Presbyterian,  came  and 
began  the  erection  of  a  brirt-  church  building  on  the  corner  of  Temple  and  New  High  streets.  Mr.  Boardman 
returned  East  before  the  edifice  was  completed.  The  building  remained  unused  until  1863,  when  Rev.  Elias 
Birdsall,  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  come  here,  to  whom  the  structure  was  turned  over  by  the  trustees 
in  charge.  The  outcome  was  that,  about  1868,  the  Episcopal  Church  paid  back  the  money  the  Presbyterians  had 
put  into  the  enterprise,  and  acquired  title  to  the  property,  which  they  held  until  1884,  when  it  was  sold. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church,  which  had  presided  over  the  founding  of  Los  Angeles,  continued  to  grow  as  the 
city  grew.  In  1858  the  Sisters'  Hospital  was  founded.  The  Sisters,  who  came  from  Maryland,  began  their  minis- 
.  trations  in  a  small  way  in  a  private  house;  then  established  themselves  on  San  Fernando  street,  opposite  where  the 
River  Station  stands.  Here  they  carried  on  their  work  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  until  they  erected  their  present 
magnificent  plant  on  Bellevue  avenue.  Another  band  of  Sisters  founded  an  orphan  asylum  in  1856,  and  worked 
zealously  for  many  years,  until  they  were  able  to  erect  their  great  edifice  on  Boyle  Heights.  St.  Vincent's  College 
was  founded  in  1855,  and  prospered  so  that  it  now  has  a  large  and  well-equipped  plant  on  the  corner  of  Grand 
avenue  and  Washington  street. 

Grape-growing  was  carried  on  with  some  enterprise  in  the  decade  now  under  review.  In  1857  shipments  of 
grapes  amounted  to  nearly  1,000,000  pounds,  and  of  wine  to  250,000  gallons.  So  important  was  the  industry 
considered  that  in  1857  J.  T.  Warner  published  a  paper  called  The  Southern  Vineyard. 

Oranges  had  been  planted  by  the  mission  fathers  at  San  Gabriel  as  soon  as  the  mission  was  founded.  Wil- 
liam Wolfskill  was  the  first  resident  of  Los  Angeles  city  to  make  much  of  an  effort  in  this  way.  In  1856  he  sold 
400  boxes. 

At  the  close  of  this  decade,  in  the  national  election  of  1860,  the  vote  of  Los  Angeles  stood:  Breckenridge, 
703;  Douglas,  494;  Lincoln,  356;  Bell,  210. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEl'EMEXT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  PERIOD  OF  STAGNATION. 

There  was  little  growth  in  Los  Angeles  between  1860  and  1880.  The  outbreak  of  the  war  kept  men  North 
and  South  at  home.  After  the  close  of  the  war  the  reorganization  of  society  operated  in  the  same  direction.  Nor 
was  there  much  to  draw  men  generally  to  so  remote  a  section  as  Southern  California,  cut  off  as  it  was  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  from  lack  of  railroads  by  land  and  lines  of  steamers  by  sea.  The  stage  coach  was  the  slow, 
uncomfortable,  costly  and  dangerous  means  of  travel.  Stock-raising  continued  to  be  the  principal  industry,  and 
weather  conditions  made  this  very  unprofitable.  In  1862  the  State  was  inundated  by  the  greatest  flood  ever 
known.  It  spread  over  the  State  from  Shasta  to  San  Diego.  The  next  nine  years  were  marked  for  the  most 
part  by  severe  droughts.  The  two  years  after  the  flood,  like  the  one  before  that,  were  as  dry  as  that  was  wet. 
The  plains  were  strewn  with  dead  animals ;  the  cienegas,  or  springs,  were  piled  with  carcasses  until  the  atmosphere 


SCENE  ON  A  CALIFORNIA  SHEEP  RANCH. 


was  fetid.  In  1868  there  was  again  rather  more  than  an  abundance  of  rain,  but  this  was  followed  by  another 
period  of  three  dry  years,  in  which  cattle  and  sheep  fared  badly.  Times  were  very  hard.  A  few  Southern  people 
came  in  after  the  close  of  the  war.  They  were  mostly  of  the  professional  classes,  and  brought  very  little  money 
with  them.  In  1863  Dr.  John  S.  Griffin  held  a  bill  against  the  city  fo'r  about  $1000.  He  was  unable  to  obtain 
payment  in  money,  and  forced  to  take  city  land.  The  city  gave  him  nearly  all  that  territory  now  known  as 
East  Los  Angeles,  at  50  cents  per  acre. 

An  event  of  very  great  importance  came  to  pass  in  1860.  L.  J.  Rose  came  out  from  Illinois,  bringing  his  wife. 
He  passed  from  one  end  of  the  State  to  the  other  before  determining  where  they  should  cast  in  their  lot.  After 
traveling  over  the  length  and  breadth  of  California,  he  returned  to  the  San  Gabriel  Valley  and  chose  Sunny  Slope 
as  the  most  attractive  spot  he  had  ever  seen.  Rose  proceeded  to  plant  orange  trees  and  vines,  until  about  1885 
or  1886  he  had  nearly  a  thousand  acres  in  vines  and  several  hundred  in  orange  trees.  He  also  entered  into  the 
'breeding  of  horses,  and  developed  one  of  the  best  strains  of  trotters  in  the  world.  Twenty  years  after  he  set- 
tled in  the  San  Gabriel  Yallev,  Mr.  Rose  told  the  author  of  this  sketch  that  he  had  then  paid  $127,000  in  interest 


18  MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 

on  money  borrowed  to  develop  his  property.  He  did  as  much  as,  if  not  more  than,  any  other  one  person  to  demon- 
strate the  wonderful  fertility  of  the  soil  and  semi-tropic  suns  of  Southern  California.  In  1882  the  grapes  crushed 
at  the  Rose  winery  in  one  day  were  more  than  the  total  product  of  all  the  vineyards  in  Southern  California  in 
1902. 

The  closing  years  of  this  decade  witnessed  the  building  of  a  good  many  business  edifices  of  greater  preten- 
sions than  had  gone  before.  The  Bella  Union  Hotel,  now  the  St.  Charles,  was  built.  The  La  Fayette  Hotel, 
which  stood  where  the  St.  Elmo  is  now,  was  also  among  the  number.  The  United  States  Hotel,  two  stories  of 
the  present  structure,  was  put  up.  Bell's  Block,  sometimes  known  as  Mellus  Row,  an  adobe  building,  with  a 
half-story  in  wood  above,  on  the  corner  of  Aliso  and  Los  Angeles  streets,  where  Haas,  Baruch  &  Co.'s  fine  whole- 
sale house  now  stands,  was  of  this  period.  Don  Abel  Stearns,  in  1865,  put  up  the  Arcadia  Block  on  Los  Angeles 
street,  opposite  where  Aliso  street  comes  in.  This  is  still  standing  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  and  occu- 
pied for  business  purposes.  In  1869  the  Pico  House  was  begun.  It  is  now  the  National  Hotel,  a  good  three- 
story  building,  on  Main  street  and  the  Plaza.  In  this  same  year  John  M.  Griffith,  who  was  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  and  in  freighting  from  San  Pedro  to  Los  Angeles,  built  the  first  really  modern  house  in  Los 
Angeles.  It  stood  on  Fort  street,  now  Broadway,  where  the  Potomac  building  is  now.  When  this  latter  building 
was  erected  by  Griffith,  the  house  was  moved  back  on  HU1  street  and  again  was  remodeled  during  the  past  year 
into  a  Presbyterian  church. 

The  first  bank  was  opened  in  Los  Angeles  in  1868.  Alvinza  Hayward  sent  his  son,  James  A.  Hayward, 
down  from  San  Francisco,  and  with  ex-Gov.  John  G.  Downey  as  partner,  opened  the  banking  house  of 
Alvinza  Hayward  &  Co.  The  bank  was  in  the  old  Downey  building,  on  Main  street,  a  little  north  of  Temple. 
Another  bank  was  opened  the  same  year  by  Isaias  W.  Hellman.  It  was  known  as  the  Hellman,  Temple  &  Co. 
Bank,  and  the  banking  house  was  on  Main  street,  where  the  Central  Hotel  now  stands,  almost  directly  opposite 
the  rival  institution.  In  1871  the  two  banks  were  merged  into  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Rank,  which  stands 
today  by  far  the  largest  banking  institution  in  the  State  outside  of  San  Francisco.  The  Temple  &  Workman  Bank- 
was  organized  not  long  after  the  others,  but  this  collapsed  with  the  failure  of  the  Bank  of  California,  in  San 
Francisco,  on  the  death  of  A1'-'liam  C.  Ralston,  in  1875. 

Communication  with  the  outside  world  was  at  all  times  in  the  early  days  a  matter  of  very  great  interest  to 
the  people  of  Los  Angeles.  Soon  after  the  American  occupation,  a  ship  was  put  on  to  ply  between  San  Pedro  and 
San  Francisco,  also  two  lines  of  stages  from  the  landing  to  Los  Angeles,  with  a  system  of  freight  wagons.  Gen. 
Phineas  Banning  controlled  one  line  from  Wilmington  and  John  L.  Tomlinson  one  from  San  Pedro.  The  rail- 
road world  has  never  developed  sharper  competition  than  existed  between  these  two  lines,  and  mankind  has  seldom 
seen  anything  more  picturesque  than  the  races  between  the  rival  stages  on  "steamer  day,"  as  the  drivers 
whipped  their  horses  into  furious  spe<.d  to  see  which  stage  would  reach  the  door  of  the  Bella  L'nion  first.  An 
effort  was  begun  as  early  as  1863  to  get  a  railroad  from  San  Pedro  to  Los  Angeles.  Gen.  Banning  served  in 
the  State  Senate  from  1865  to  1868,  and  in  the  last  year  a  bill  passed  the  Legislature  by  which  the  county 'of  Los 
Angeles  was  authorized  to  issue  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $150,000,  and  the  city  $75,000  to  aid  in  the  construction 
of  the  road.  Work  was  begun  soon  after,  and  in  the  fall  of  1869  trains  were  in  operation  from  the  landing  at 
Wilmington  to  the  junction  of  Commercial  and  Alameda  streets.  The  depot  was  where  the  Los  Angeles  Milling 
Company's  mill  now  stands. 

In  1869  the  city  leased  the  water  system  to  Dr.  John  S.  Griffin,  Prudent  Beaudry  and  Solomon  Lazard  for 
a  period  of  thirty  years.  The  company  was  to  pay  $1500  a  year  for  its  privileges,  put  the -system  in,  proper 
order,  and  keep  it  so,  and  at  the  end  of  the  period  sell  the  plant  to  the  city  at  a  price  to  be  determined  upon.  The 
stockholders  in  this  company  put  much  money  in  their  purses  during  the  thirty  years,  and  a  couple  of  years  ago, 
after  much  contention,  sold  out  to  the  people  at  $2,000,000. 

With  the  opening  of  the  next  decade  came  the  era  of  railroads  for  Southern  California.  Thomas  A.  Scott 
had  been  working  on  a  project  to  construct  a  line  from  Texas  to  San  Diego.  The  Southern  Pacific  was  building 
down  through  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  from  San  Francisco  to  Los  Angeles.  For  a  bonus  of  about  $600,000  the 
California  company  agreed  to  come  down  over  the  Tehachepi  and  Soledad  passes  and  to  go  on  to  San  Bernar- 
dino, with  a  branch  from  Los  Angeles  to  Santa  Ana.  The  old  Banning  line  from  San  Pedro  was  also  to  be 
made  part  of  this  Southern  Pacific  system.  In  February,  1873,  work  was  begun  on  the  line  eastward  over  in 
East  Los  Angeles,  and  construction  was  pushed  southward  from  Bakersfield.  Work  was  also  begun  from  Los 
Angeles  northward,  and  in  September,  1876,  connection  was  made  in  the  Soledad  Canon  by  which  Southern 
California  obtained  rail  communication  with  San  Francisco  and  thence  East  by  the  Central  Pacific.  By  1883  the 
line  eastward  through  Arizona  was  completed  through  to  New  Orleans.  Almost  simultaneously  with  the  South- 
ern Pacific  enterprise,  Senator  John  P.  Jones  of  Nevada  began  the  construction  of  a  railroad  from  Santa  Monica 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


19 


to  Los  Angeles,  intending;  to  push  it  on  through  Nevada  to  Salt  Lake.  The  line  from  the  ocean  to  the  city  was 
built.  The  failure  of  Jay  Cook  and  his  great  Northern  Pacific  enterprise  paralyzed  all  industries  throughout 
the  country,  among  them  the  road  of  Senator  Jones.  In  1878  the  Santa  Monica  branch  was  sold  to  the  Southern 
Pacific.  The  wharf  at  Santa  Monica  was  demolished,  but  the  road  kept  in  operation.  Los  Angeles  has  had  to 
wait  twenty-five  years  for  Senator  W.  A.  Clark  of  Montana  to  take  up  the  neglected  thread  of  this  enterprise 
and  give  Southern  California  rail  connection  with  Salt  Lake. 

These  railroad  enterprises  started  what  may  be  regarded  as  the  first  general  real  estate  "boom"  in  Los  Ange- 
les. All  the  business  of  the  city  was  done  on  Main  and  Los  Angeles  streets,  a  block  or  two  north  and  south  of 
Commercial  street.  Property  on  Spring  street,  which  in  early  days  had  sold  for  $50  per  lot,  had  risen  to  $40  or  $50 
a  foot.  In  1873  these  prices  were  nearly  doubled  for  a  while,  but  with  the  Jay  Cook  failure  in  the  East  and 
the  Ralston  failure  in  San  Francisco,  a  crisis  reached  Los  Angeles,  and  the  Temple  &  Workman  Bank  closed  its 
doors,  never  to  open  again-.  Downey  closed  the  doors  of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank.  I.  W.  Hellman 
had  been  in  Europe,  and  had  arrived  in  New  York  almost  on  the  very  day  of  the  Jay  Cook  failure.  He  hastened 
across  the  continent  to  San  Francisco,  and  secured  a  large  sum  of  money  from  his  friends.  With  this  he  made 
his  way  with  all  speed  to  Los  Angeles.  The  morning  after  his  arrival  he  threw  open  the  doors  of  the  bank,  and 
there  was  a  great  rush  of  depositors  to  get  their  money.  As  fast  as  they  were  paid  off  they  rushed  into  the  street 
with  sacks  full  of  coin.  There  was  no  other  bank  in'  the  city  whose  doors  were  open.  What  should  they  do 
with  their  coin?  One  by  one  they  began  to  venture  back  to  the  counter  of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank 
and  offer  their  money  for  deposit.  One  of  the  tellers  reported  the  situation  to  Hellman,  and  asked  if  these  people 
might  reopen  their  accounts.  "Oh.  no!"  replied  the  banker.  "They  wanted  their  money;  they  have  it;  we  do 
not  want  it  back."  That  stopped  the  run.  The  Temple  &  Workman  Bank  remained  closed  forever,  and  Tem- 
ple's real  estate  was  thrown  on  the  market.  Portions  of  his  land  in  the  San  Gabriel  Valley,  lying  south  of  the 
Alhambra  of  today  and  stretching  to  the  San1  Gabriel  River,  were  sold  for  50  cents  an  acre. 

About  1867  Gen.  Banning  began  an  effort  to  get  the  Federal  government  to  improve  San  Pedro  Harbor. 
In  1869  George  H.  Mendell,  a  colonel  of  the  Engineer  Corps  of  the  United  States  Army,  was  sent  down  from 
San  Francisco  to  look  over  the  situation.  His  report  was  very  favorable.  Congress  appropriated  $425,000  for 
the  work,  which  later  on  was  doubled,  and  with  this  the  entrance  was  so  deepened  that  sixteen  feet  of  water 
was  obtained  on  -the  bar. 


LOS  ANGELES  IN  1856. 


(1)     OLD  UNITED  STATES  HOTEL.  (21     JUNCTION  OF  SPRING  AND  MAIN  STREETS. 

(3)     LOS  ANGELES  STREET. 


20  MSN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  MODERN   EPOCH. 

The  history  of  the  Los  Angeles  of  today  centers  in  the  last  two  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The 
progress  of  the  years  had  been  slow.  When  California  became  American,  the  city  of  Los  Angeles  contained  only 
about  1600  people.  The  great  county  of  Los  Angeles  embraced  nearly  all  Southern  California,  had  but  little 
more  than  3500  persons.  After  twenty  years,  the  census  of  1870  showed  a  growth  to  5614  in  the  city  and  15,209 
in  the  county.  It  was  only  about  twice  as  large  at  the  end  of  a  decade;  for  just  before  the  census  of  1880  was 
taken,  a  mining  excitement  in  Arizona  drew  off  many  people  from  Southern  California.  But  influences  were  at 
work  which  were  preparing  for  a  period  of  advancement.  The  mission  fathers  had  established  the  fact  that 
Southern  California  soil  was  capable  of  producing  marvelous  results.  The  vine,  the  citrus  family  of  trees,  and 
the  olive  had  been  proved  perfectly  adaptable  to  the  soil  and  climate  of  the  country.  L.  J.  Rose,  J.  dc  Earth 
Short)  and  William  Wolfskill  had  demonstrated  this  fact  beyond  the  reach  of  controversy.  In  1877  Shorb 
reported  the  sale  of  oranges  from  a  seven-acre  orchard  at  $7000.  The  crop  was  marketed  in  San  Francisco. 
Wolfskill,  in  the  same  year,  succeeded  in  shipping  a  carload  to  St.  Louis,  where  the  fruit  sold  at  a  profit,  although 
the  freight  charges  were  $500.  Such  facts  as  these  and  the  charm  of  the  climate  began  to  be  known  all  over 
the  country,  and  the  eyes  of  many  people  began  to  turn  to  this  portion  of  the  globe. 

But  another  mighty  energy  for  the  development  of  the  country  now  began  to  make  itself  felt  with  new  force. 
The  existence  of  the  weekly  paper,  The  Star,  has  been  noted.  This  was  followed  by  The  News,  which,  in  1867 
to  1870,  was  the  only  daily  in  the  State  outside  of  San  Francisco.  In  1871  The  Evening  Express  was  founded 
by  Jesse  Yarnell,  John  Paynter  and  George  A.  Tiffany,  all  practical  printers.  Henry  C.  Austin,  now  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace  in  this  city,  was  the  editor  of  the  new  paper,  which  was  Republican  in  politics.  Heretofore  the  public 
press  had  been  Democratic.  In  1873  C.  A.  Storke,  now  of  Santa  Barbara,  established  The  Herald.  In  1875 
The  \Veekly  Mirror  was  founded.  This  is  now  the  weekly  edition  of  The  Times,  which  was  begun  as  a  daily  in 
December,  1881.  Joseph  D.  Lynch  and  the  late  James  J.  Ayres  gained  control  ot  The  Herald  and  Express.  The 
local  press  began  to  tell  the  world  at  large  of  the  many  attractions  held  out  by  this  part  of  the  country  to  those  in 
search  of  health  or  wealth.  In  1880  The  Herald  put  forth  a  midsummer  illustrated  edition,  with  articles  on  the  soil, 
climate,  orange  culture,  grape-growing  and  other  local  industries.  This  went  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  From 
that  day  to  this,  a  period  of  over  twenty  years,  no  section  of  country  ever  had  public  prints  so  generally  loyal 
to  their  section,  so  prescient  as  to  the  possibilities  of  a  section,  and  so  energetic  in  making  these  facts  known  to 
the  world.  Los  Angeles  city  and  all  Southern  California  owe  more  to  the  local  press  and  to  the  loyal,  enthusiastic, 
energetic,  able  and  eloquent  newspaper  men  of  the  section  than  to  any  one  other  influence,  if  not  more  than  to 
all  other  influences  combined.  The  carefully-compiled  matter  that  has  been  printed  about  the  section  in  thous- 
ands of  tons,  and  the  eloquent  praises  of  sun  and  soil,  of  scenery  and  opportunity  to  make  money,  have  filled  the 
world  with  detailed  and  intimate  knowledge  of  all  there  is  here  to  attract  the  seeker  for  health,  for  wealth  or  for 
pleasure. 

The  completion  of  the  railroad  to  San  Francisco  and  thence  east  by  Salt  Lake,  and  directly  eastward  through 
Arizona,  opened  the  markets  of  the  world  to  the  products  of  Southern  California,  and  opened  this  section  to  the 
health  and  pleasure-seekers  of  the  wide  world.  Affairs  were  dead  enough  in  1880,  and  for  two  or  three  years 
following,  but  L.  J.  Rose  was  paying  $20  a  ton  for  grapes  and  the  eastern  markets  were  absorbing  California 
fruits  at  remunerative  prices.  Still,  of  the  comparatively  few  small  and  cheaply-built  houses  in  the  city, 
hundreds  were  untenanted.  The  owners  would  not  rent  them,  so  intent  were  they  on  selling  and  being  done  with 
a  bad  bargain,  as  they  considered  them.  A  house  and  lot  could  be  had  for  less  than  the  house  had  cost  to  build, 
and  lots  could  be  had  at  about  any  figure  a  buyer  might  offer.  Col.  Robert  S.  Baker,  in  1875,  had  put  up  the 
Baker  Block,  a  beautiful  three-story  structure,  which  to  this  day  is  an  ornament  to  the  city.  In  1880  it  stood 
almost  tenantless.  The  census  of  this  year  showed  that  there  were  in  the  city  a  little  over  11,000  people,  and  33>88i 
in  the  county,  which,  by  this  time,  had  been  cut  down  by  the  erection  of  San  Bernardino  county,  Santa  Barbara 
and  Ventura  counties,  so  that  it  embraced  only  the  territory  of  Los  Angeles  and  Orange  counties  as  they  are 
now.  Things  moved  very  slowly  for  the  next  three  years,  but  new  blood  had  begun  to  come  in.  In  the  central 
part  of  the  State  there  had  been  a  very  substantial  increase  in  the  value  of  lands  suitable  to  the  production  of 
grapes  or  of  deciduous  fruits.  Shrewd  men  began  to  turn  their  eyes  to  Southern  California,  where  values  were 
still  very  low.  The  conditions  were  slow  to  change.  In  1882  T.  D.  Mott  found  some  difficulty  in  selling  120 
feet  on  Spring  street  by  165  on  Fifth,  the  northwest  corner,  with  a  brick  house  of  some  pretensions  on  it,  for 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST  21 

$3750.  The  same  property  had  been  sold  in  1 869  for  $5000,  and  resold  to  Mott  at  the  same  price  in  1873.  In  1876 
an  offer  of  $9000  was  refused  for  it,  the  asking  price  being  $10,000.  With  the  incoming  of  new  blood  and 
capital,  in  1880  to  1883,  things  were  beginning  to  change.  The  newcomers  began  to  pick  up  unimproved  property 
from  the  hands  of  the  discouraged  "old-timers"  at  very  low  prices.  Along  the  crest  of  Bunker  Hill  lots  were 
still  pressed  on  the  market  at  $5  a  front  foot  and  up  to  $10  on  Grand  avenue,  then  called  Charity  street.  But 
tenantless  houses  began  to  grow  scarce.  By  1883  there  were  hardly  any  left.  Then  newcomers  were  obliged 
to  buy  lots  and  build  houses.  Property  began  to  rise  in  value.  The  Express  urged  the  property-holders  on 
Spring  and  Main  streets,  near  Temple  and  Commercial,  to  purchase  the  old  Courthouse  site,  where  the  Bullard 
building  now  is,  fronting  on  Main,  Spring,  Market  and  Court  streets,  and  hold  it  to  present  to  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment as  a  site  for  a  Federal  building.  The  Supervisors  offered  to  sell  the  property  for  $50,000.  About  this 
time  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church  sold  120  feet  on  New  High  street  by  165  on  Temple,  the  southwest  corner,  now 
the  Courthouse  grounds,  for  $10,000.  Population  continued  to  increase,  and  new  residences  to  be  needed.  But 
the  new  buildings  were  nearly  all  cheap,  one-story  cottages,  costing  $1000  to  $1500,  being  the  universal  rule  with 
hardly  an  exception.  The  corners  of  First  and  Spring  streets  were  still  occupied  by  shacks.  Small  cottages 
occupied  nearly  all  the  space  on  First  street  between  Main  and  Spring.  By  1884  a  decided  change  had  taken 
place.  Hon.  C.  H.  Washburn  had  enlisted  capital  to  put  up  a  plant  to  light  the  city  by  electricity.  It  was  a  small 
affair  on  the  corner  of  Alameda  and  Turner  streets.  A  little  later  he  built  an  electric  railroad  from  the  corner 
of  First  and  Los  Angeles  streets  to  Pico  Heights,  where  the  Electric  Railroad  Homestead  tract  was  laid  out 
and  put  on  the  market. 

There  were  a  few  venturesome  people  who  began  to  see  the  great  future  which  lay  before  Los  Angeles,  and 
launched  enterprises  in  advance  of  the  times.  In  1882  Remi  Nadeau  purchased  the  southwest  corner  of  Spring 
and  First  streets  and  put  up  the  Nadeau  Hotel  as  it  stands  today.  So  far  was  this  from  the  business  center  that 
no  one  would  rent  it  for  hotel  purposes.  It  was  used  as  a  rooming-house  for  several  years.  A  couple  of  years 
later  the  late  Maj.  George  H.  Bonebrake  and  Hon.  John  Bryson  bought  the  opposite  corner  and  put  up  what  is 
now  the  Los  Angeles  National  Bank  building.  It  was  in  1888  that  these  same  two  men  bought  the  Spring-street 
school  site,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Spring  and  Second  streets,  and  put  up  what  is  now  the  Bryson  building. 
For  this  they  paid  the  city  $1000  per  front  foot.  Meantime,  L.  J.  Rose  erected  a  three-story  building  on  Main 
street  nearly  opposite  the  Baker  Block.  Other  business  blocks  continued  to  be  put  up  near  the  business  center. 
Most  of  the  business  was  still  confined  to  the  district  lying  between  the  Plaza  and  First  street.  The  County  Jail 
was  an  old  adobe,  where  the  People's  Store  is  at  the  present  time,  on  the  corner  of  Spring  and  Franklin  streets. 
The  late  Louis  Phillips  of  Pomona  paid  $500  a  foot  to  the  county  for  this  property,  and  some  time  later  erected 
the  building  now  on  it.  In  1884  or  1885,  Earl  B.  Millar  erected  a  three-story  brick  building  on  the  west  side 
of  Broadway,  about  midway  between  First  and  Second,  and  there  were  few  people  in  the  city  who  did  not 
wonder  if  he  would  ever  get  a  tenant  to  occupy  it.  By  this  time  new  people  were  coming  in  pretty  freely. 
Railroad  fares  from  the  East  had  fallen  a  little.  N.  C.  Carter  and  Phillips  &  Judson,  men  who  had  come  here, 
one  for  health,  the  others  for  business  considerations,  began  to  go  East  and  gather  up  parties  to  visit  California 
on  reduced  rates  for  railroad  travel.  More  houses  continued  to  be  built.  There  came  a  demand  for  building 
lots  more  remote  from  the  business  center,  and  tracts  as  far  out  as  Pico  and  Figueroa  streets  were  put  on  the 
market.  The  newcomers  began  to  put  up  more  pretentious  houses.  The  cottage  costing  $1000  to  $1500  gave 
place  to  two-story  houses  costing  $2500  to  $3000;  but  the  progress  was  not  at  a  rapid  pace  until  quite  up  to  1885. 

The  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company  had  been  building  in  the  Southwest  for  some  years.  The  road  had  reached 
The  Needles  on  the  Colorado  River,  where  it  connected  with  the  Mojave  branch  of  the  Southern  Pacific.  They  had 
built  to  Guaymas  in  the  State  of  Sonora,  Mexico,  and  had  a  connection  with  the  Southern  Pacific  at  Nogales. 
One  day  the  late  C.  P.  Huntington,  who  had  charge  of  the  financial  affairs  of  the  Southern  Pacific,  found  himself 
in  need  of  a  million  dollars.  He  needed  it  at  once,  and  he  needed  it  very  much.  Money  was  not  easy.  He 
obtained  what  he  wanted  by  selling  the  Mojave  branch  of  the  road  to  the  Santa  Fe,  the  Guaymas  branch  of  the 
Santa  Fe  being  turned  over  to  the  Southern  Pacific.  The  Santa  Fe  proceeded  to  build  from  Barstow  through 
Cajon  Pass  to  Colton.  Having  made  trackage  arrangements  with  the  Southern  Pacific,  access  was  had  to  Los 
Angeles.  California  oranges  had  begun  to  reach  the  markets  of  the  East.  At  New  Orleans  in  1884  the 
California  fruit  had  taken  the  first  prizes.  The  newspapers  had  been  for  five  or  six  years  heralding  the  praises 
of  the  section  to  willing  ears  all  over  the  country.  The  railroads  made  more  and  more  favorable  rates  to  the 
Coast.  Personally-conducted  excursion  parties  became  frequent  and  were  well  patronized.  The  eastern  railroads 
sent  out  regular  agents  to  work  in  Los  Angeles.  A  war  of  railroad  rates  brought  fares  lower  and  lower,  until 
they  reached  $25,  and  for  months  people  could  come  to  the  Coast  for  that  much.  The  fare  had  been  as  high  as 
8150;  then  $100.  For  a  few  hours  on  one  day  the  rate  for  a  trip  across  the  continent  fell  to  $i.  Then  a  truce 
was  made,  but  the  rates  remained  very  reasonable  as  compared  with  what  they  had  been.  In  1886  nearly  all  the 
railroads  were  running  excursion  trains  at  low  rates,  and  the  people  poured  in.  The  newcomers  knew  of  the 


22 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


army  behind  them,  and  began  to  gather  up  "corner  lots"  and  "choice  residence  sites"  in  all  parts  of  the  city.     The 
pioneers,  who  never  dreamed  of  what  was  coming,  were  willing  sellers.     The  "tenderfeet"  held    for   a    rise,    and 
made  those  who  came  a  week  later  pay  it. 
So  the  "boom"  began. 


PALM  DRIVE.  JOHN  SINGLETON'S  GROUNDS,  LOS  ANGELES. 


MEX  OF  ACHIEJ'EMEXT  IN    THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST.  23 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  GREAT  "BOOM." 

The  speculation  in  real  property  which  prevailed  in  Southern  California  in  1886  and  1887,  forcing  values  up 
at  a  rate  never  before  experienced  in  so  short  a  time,  has  been  known  ever  since  by  the  slang  term,  "The  Boom." 
Abroad  its  history  has  never  been  correctly  told,  nor  its  reasons  comprehended.  From  the  time  the  Americans 
came  to  California,  up  to  nearly  1880,  agriculture  was  more  or  less  neglected  in  all  sections.  Stock-raising  and 
gold  mining  seemed  the  only  pursuits  worthy  of  any  attention.  In  the  drought  of  1861  the  small  population 
of  the  State  almost  starved  for  bread,  flour  having  to  be  brought  from  the  East.  On  many  a  league-long  ranch 
milk,  butter,  potatoes  and  vegetables  of  all  kinds  were  unknown,  excepting  as  they  were  brought  in  from  the 
outside.  Farmers  raised  hogs  and  drove  them  250  miles  to  San  Francisco,  and  at  the  same  time  used  on  their 
own  tables  hams  and  bacon  cured  in  Chicago.  When  Isaac  Friedlander  began  to  grow  wheat  in  the  San  Joaquin 
Valley  for  export,  Californians  regarded  him  as  more  or  less  lacking  in  common  sense;  but  by  1880  wine  grapes 
and  deciduous  fruits,  such  as  peaches,  plums  and  prunes,  had  become  important  crops  in  the  counties  around 
San  Francisco  Bay.  Before  this  time,  such  pursuits  received  little  attention  in  Southern  California.  The 
orange  had  come  to  be  regarded  as  worthy  attention.  Both  city  and  country  properties  were  selling  slowly  at 
prices  far  below  their  intrinsic  value.  With  the  inflow  of  new  people  the  point  of  view  began  to  change. 
Grapes  at  $20  a  ton  were  recognized  as  profitable  to  the  grower.  The  "tenderfeet"  of  the  three  years,  1885  to 
1887,  inclusive,  had  seen  cities  in  the  Central  States  grow  up  like  the  fabled  gourd  of  the  Prophet  Jonah.  Town- 
sites  were  given  to  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company  when  the  railroad  began  to  extend  through  the  section.  The 
managers  sent  out  agents  who  had  had  experience  in  Kansas  and  other  States  booming  realty.  These  men 
understood  their  business.  With  brass  bands  and  barbecues  the  crowds  of  tourists  who  had  nothing  to  do  were 
drawn  to  mustard-covered  mesas  and  brown  hillsides,  where,  in  glib  accents,  the  promoter  told  how  soon  a 
flourishing  city  was  sure  to  spring  up  as  if  by  magic  from  the  ground,  or  fall  by  a  miracle  from  the  skies.  The 
new  arrival  from  the  East  one  day  bought  a  lot  and  lay  in  wait  for  the  tourist  of  the  next  day  to  unload  on 
him  at  an  advance.  Real  estate  agents  flocked  in  from  San  Francisco,  from  Chicago  and  from  New  York.  They 
painted  broad  banners,  hired  bands,  bought  whole  pages  in  newspapers,  and  in  every  way  fished  for  "suckers" 
in  all  waters.  All  along  the  railroads  plots  for  cities  were  laid  out,  until  the  whole  countryside  was  covered  with 
white  lot-stakes.  Scrap-iron  street-car  lines  were  laid  down  from  the  railway  station  through  the  prospective 
cities.  Holes  were  dug  on  hillsides,  which  were  supposed  to  be  for  reservoirs  to  furnish  water.  In  many 
cases,  large  expenses  were  incurred  in  laying  down  sidewalks,  grading  streets  and  building  costly  hotels.  Prices 
went  up !  and  up !  and  up !  All  classes  lost  their  heads.  The  room  which  had  been  evident  for  legitimate 
increase  in  values  was  exceeded,  and  no  one  seemed  to  realize  that  there  was  any  limit  to  the  prices  that  might 
be  paid  for  property.  This  inflation  was  not  so  marked  in  the  best  property  in  the  business  centers,  where  reve- 
nues might  be  looked  for.  On  the  crest  of  Bunker  Hill  lots  that  had  gone  begging  for  buyers  in  1882,  at  $300 
each,  were  salable  at  $10,000.  For  three  lots  fronting  on  Bunker  Hill  avenue,  Grand  avenue  and  Second  street 
an  offer  of  $50,000  was  refused.  The  holder  lost  it  a  few  years  later,  under  foreclosure  proceedings,  on  a  mort- 
gage to  secure  a  note  for  $13,000.  Unimproved  at  the  present  time,  it  would  sell  for  perhaps  $30,000.  All  sorts 
and  conditions  of  men  and  women  came  in  on  the  cheap  rates.  They  were  "without  distinction  of  race,  color 
or  previous  condition  of  servitude."  Women  and  young  girls  with  less  than  $100  to  their  names  became 
"plungers"  in  the  realty  market,  and  with  their  few  dollars  of  spare  cash  tried  to  tie  up  property  worth  thousands, 
expecting  prices  to  go  soaring  without  limit,  and  that  their  contract  for  a  deed  on  which  $50  cash  had  been  paid 
would  be  worth  a  fortune  in  ninety  days.  Be  it  noted,  the  pioneer  and  old-timer  were  not  the  promoters  of  these 
schemes.  They  willingly  sold  their  property  before  the  great  game  of  inflation  began,  and  were  out  of  the 
market.  The  newcomer  who  had  seen  things  done  in  Wichita  or  elsewhere  was  the  one  who  made  the  big  profits 
in  corner  lots,  or  who  took  a  check  for  $50  or  $100  on  a  contract,  the  balance  to  be  paid  in  sixty  days,  with  the 
certainty  that  the  deposit  would  be  forfeited  and  his  lot  returned  to  him  at  the  end  of  the  two  months.  But 
inexperienced  women  were  not  the  only  ones  that  lost  their  heads.  Men  of  affairs  whose  hair  was  turning  gray 
plunged  deep  enough  to  ingulf  themselves  and  their  fortunes  in  the  end.  Mortgages  went  on  record  as  fast  as 
deeds,  and  the  obligations  to  pay  generally  exceeded  the  "spot  cash"  in  the  transactions.  The  banks  were  the 
first  to  take  a  conservative  view  of  the  situation.  They  refused  to  finance  any  more  deals  in  outside  townsites, 
or  in  new  subdivisions  in  the  city.  One  of  the  daily  papers  put  a  man  on  for  a  month  to  make  a  table  of  all  the 
mortgages  on  the  property  in  Los  Angeles  county.  This  table  showed  when  the  mortgage  was  recorded,  the 


24 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


amount  of  the  note,  when  due,  and  a  legal  description  of  the  property.  When  the  work  was  done,  the  exhibit  of 
indebtedness  was  so  colossal  that  the  paper  did  not  dare  to  make  public  the  knowledge  in  its  possession.  Soon 
these  obligations  began  to  come  due,  and  there  was  so  active  a  demand  for  money  that  interest  rates,  which  had 
been  6  per  cent.,  where  the  debt  was  part  of  the  purchase  price  of  the  land,  and  up  to  8  per  cent,  in  other  casesr 
ran  up  to  13  per  cent.  The  local  banks  were  very  loath  to  lend  money  freely,  but  a  San  Francisco  savings  bank- 
came  in  and  loaned  $3,000,000  in  a  few  months.  The  agent  of  the  bank  made  these  loans  so  judiciously  that  very 
little  of  the  property  had  to  be  taken  for  the  debt,  and  what  was  taken  was  sold  later,  so  that  the  bank  lost 
nothing.  Of  course,  scores  of  people  whose  load  of  debt  was  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  value  of  the  property, 
could  not  borrow  at  all,  and  were  foreclosed  out  of  all  they  had.  Fortunes  on  paper  were  obliterated,  and  men 
who  had  been  clerks,  mechanics  or  day  laborers  before  they  reached  Los  Angeles  in  the  "boom,"  then  had 
blossomed  out  into  financiers,  set  up  costly  establishments,  with  three  or  four  servants  and  a  carriage,  counted 
their  wealth  at  thousands,  tens  of  thousands,  hundreds  of  thousands,  found  themselves  keeping  house  in  three 
furnished  rooms  at  $20  a  month,  and  their  wives  doing  the  cooking  and  washing,  as  they  had  done  before. 
There  are  men  in  Los  Angeles  today  who  are  practically  pensioners  on  the  public,  who  rolled  in  wealth  for  a  few 
months  during  the  "boom."  It  was  no  infrequent  thing  for  a  real  estate  agent  to  make  a  thousand  dollars  by- 
writing  his  name  twice  in  the  same  day.  He  took  an  option  on  a  lot,  put  up  a  hundred  dollars,  got  the  purchase 
reported  on  the  street,  and  before  night  assigned  his  contract  to  someone  else,  who  paid  him  $1000  to  get  the 
"bargain."  ''Millionaires  of  a  day"  these  rich  men  of  the  great  "boom"  have  been  aptly  called. 

During  this  time  of  speculative  excitement,  good  orange  groves  were  either  neglected  or  cut  up  into  town 
lots ;  the  rich  alfalfa  pastures  were  allowed  to  die  out,  the  owners  being  too  busy  selling  real  estate  to  cultivate 
their  farms.  The  idea  was  that  the  whole  country,  from  Tehachepi  to  the  Mexican  border,  would  be  needed 
for  building  sites,  25-feet  front  by  150  deep,  to  supply  the  demand.  From  1000  to  2000  new  people  a  month  were 
arriving,  and  it  looked  as  if  the  whole  human  family  were  coming  here  to  live  "on  climate  and  swapping  corner 
lots." 

The  "boom"  collapsed  in  just  about  twenty-four  hours,  and  the  people  woke  up  from  a  pleasant  dream  to  a  very 
serious  reality. 

The  "boom  was  burst." 


RESIDENCE  OF  ROBERT  F.  JONES,  SANTA  MONICA. 


J/£.V  OF  ACHIEJ'EMEXT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST.  25 


CHAPTER  VII. 

AFTER  THE  CRASH. 

The  causes  that  led  to  the  collapse  of  the  "boom"  were  various.  Besides  the  unjustifiable  inflation  of  values, 
the  laying-out  of  six  townsites  where  there  was  room  for  only  one,  and  the  laying  out  in  the  city  of  subdivisions 
to  furnish  homes  enough  for  half  a  million  people,  affairs  all  over  the  country  were  not  prosperous.  Business 
men  were  making  less  money.  Mr.  Cleveland's  first  term  as  President  was  coming  to  a  close,  and  his  last  mes- 
sage to  Congress  disquieted  men's  minds.  Again,  one  ot  the  best-paying  industries  in  California,  grape-growing, 
was  threatened  with  extinction.  The  mysterious  disease,  which  destroyed  almost  every  vineyard  in  Southern 
California,  was  doing  its  work.  In  two  years  the  industry  south  of  Tehachepi  was  wiped  out.  The  white 
cottony  cushion  scale  was  threatening  a  similar  fate  to  the  orange  groves.  Eastern  papers,  which,  with 
a  few  exceptions,  knew  little  or  nothing  of  Southern  California,  ignorantly  attacked  the  section.  It  was 
contended  that  there  was  little  here  of  a  permanent  nature;  that  the  "boom''  had  no  basis  what- 
ever to  rest  on ;  that  the  collapse  was  natural,  and  that  conditions  would  slip  back  to  those  prevailing 
as  a  rule  during  a  century  of  little  progress.  There  was  a  notable  exception  to  this  hostility  of  the  eastern  press. 
That  was  the  Xew  York  Sun.  In  1883  Charles  A.  Dana  paid  Los  Angeles  a  visit.  He  made  a  special  study  of 
all  conditions,  social  and  climatic,  and  of  the  soil  and  its  products.  He  saw  that  there  was  a  basis  for  natural, 
legitimate  growth  here,  and,  in  a  series  of  specially-prepared  editorial  articles  in  The  Sun,  contended  that  there 
lay  a  great  future  before  Southern  California.  There  is  no  doubt  that  these  articles  did  much  to  stem  the  rising 
tide  of  prejudice  against  the  section  created  by  the  press  generally.  Meantime,  the  local  press  came  gallantly 
to  the  defense  of  the  country.  The  Santa  Fe  Railroad  had  just  been  completed,  and  was  spending  a  good  deal  of 
money  in  branch  lines.  Passenger  rates  from  the  East  were  reasonable.  Thousands  of  persons  had  spent  a 
winter  or  a  year  in  California,  and  had  returned  to  their  eastern  homes  to  spread  abroad  the  praises  of  a  land 
where  snows  were  unknown ;  where  frosts  were  never  heavy  nor  of  long  continuance ;  where  fields  were  clad  in 
vivid  green  in  January ;  where  roses  bloomed  all  winter  long,  and  mocking-birds  made  the  mornings  vocal  with 
song.  In  1880  all  Southern  California  contained  only  about  64,000  people.  In  1890  this  population  was  over 
200,000.  Here  were  over  136,000  newcomers,  who  were  writing  to  their  friends  at  the  East  -to  come  here  and 
enjoy  a  climate  which,  winter  and  summer,  ''let  people  alone."  It  was  not  a  struggle  against  the  cold  in  winter, 
nor  against  the  heat  in  summer.  Then  the  people  had  been  driven  back  from  speculation  in  real  estate  to  culti- 
vate the  soil.  The  planting  of  new  orange  groves  began.  There  was  a  great  demand  for  food  for  the  increased 
population ;  butter,  eggs,  cheese,  poultry  and  other  articles  of  food  were  coming  from  the  East.  The  produc- 
tion of  these,  here,  began  in  earnest.  The  damp  lands  were  seeded  to  alfalfa,  and  herds  of  grade  cows  were 
multiplied.  So  great  was  the  demand  for  young  orange  trees  that  those  that  had  the  first  ready  to  put  in  orchard 
rows  got  as  much  as  $10,000  for  the  nursery  stock  on  a  twenty-acre  patch. 

A  "special  providence"  has  seemed  to  take  care  of  Los  Angeles.  In  1888  Chicago  people  came  in  here  and 
bought  up  the  old  street-car  lines,  out  of  which  they  proceeded  to  construct  a  cable-car  system,  which  extended 
over  the  greater  part  of  the  city.  This  cost,  perhaps,  $2,000,000,  most  of  which  was  paid  out  in  wages.  Then 
came  the  Oxnard  Brothers,  and  put  up  a  great  sugar  factory  on  the  Chino  Ranch.  The  people  of  the  city  and  of 
the  surrounding  country  manifested  supreme  courage.  They  never  lost  faith  in  their  city  or  district.  In  Los 
Angeles  the  building  of  streets  and  sewers,  including  the  great  outfall  sewer,  was  carried  on  vigorously  in  the 
face  of  the  collapse.  The  City  Hall  was  completed,  as  also  the  County  Courthouse.  In  1890  a  syndicate  of  San 
Francisco  capitalists  came  here  and  spent  perhaps  $2,000,000  in  a  system  of  electric  railroads,  and  that  kept 
things  moving  all  one  hard  winter.  Laboring  people  had  work,  and  that  kept  other  business  interests  from  suf- 
fering loss.  So,  also,  the  year  after  the  "boom"  burst,  Thomas  B.  Burnett  came  out  from  St.  Louis.  He  was 
backed  by  ample  capital,  representing,  as  he  did,  Richard  C.  Kerens  and  Geo.  B.  Leighton.  These  people 
proceeded  to  construct  the  Terminal  Railroad  system,  on  which  in  the  next  few  years  more  than  $3.000,000  was 
expended.  The  Santa  Fe  kept  building  local  lines,  one,  to  San  Diego,  being  ninety  miles  long.  The  Southern 
Pacific  built  from  Saugus  to  Santa  Barbara. 

When  Hannibal  defeated  the  Roman  legions  at  Cannre,  the  Senate  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Varro,  the 
Roman  general,  "because  he  had  not  despaired  of  the  Republic."  The  Senate  also  set  up  for  sale  at  public 
auction  the  land  on  which  the  victorious  Carthaginian  was  encamped,  and  it  sold  at  its  full  value.  The  same 
indomitable  courage  burned  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  Los  Angeles  when  the  great  speculative  bubble  burst. 
In  1888  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  organized,  gathering  in  its  membership  all  the  resolute,  determined, 


26 


J1/£A'  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


COR  FOURTH  A>  n  BROABWAI 


mEETS 


"  -    I  L<  )o«  ING  SOUTH  OH  BROADWAY 


COH  THinn  AND  DKOADWAY  (»?-6 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN    THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


27 


progressive  spirits  of  the  city.  This  noble  band  began  at  once  to  work  with  wisdom  and  energy  in  all  ways  for 
the  prosperity  of  Southern  California.  For  fifteen  years  this  great  work  has  been  carried  on  without  interruption. 
Tons  of  printed  matter,  millions  of  carefully-written  words,  have  been  sent  on  their  "winged  way"  to  tell  of  the 
most  charming  land  on  the  footstool  of  the  Most  High,  and  of  the  most  beautiful  city  inhabited  by  the  human 
family.  My  the  far  foresight  and  open-handed  liberality  of  this  band  of  earnest  business  men,  exhibits  of  the 
products  of  Southern  California  have  been  made  at  New  Orleans,  at  Atlanta,  at  Chicago,  at  San  Francisco  and 
at  Buffalo.  Foreign  countries  have  been  invaded,  and  the  wines,  fruits,  minerals  and  manufactures  of  this 
section  have  been  made  familiar  to  the  world. 

And  the  "bursting  of  the  boom''  became  but  as  a  little  eddy  in  the  great  stream,  only  as  the  intermission  of 
one  heart-beat  in  the  life  of  the  pulsating  section  so  full  of  vitality  and  resources  for  growth.  In  population,  in 
material  wealth,  in  moral  development  and  spiritual  uplifting,  this  Land  of  Sunshine  has  gone  on  increasing 
at  a  pace  never  before  known.  The  several  enumerations  of  the  census,  national  or  local,  the  assessments  of 
property  for  taxation,  the  records  of  building  and  all  other  indices  of  growth,  combine  to  demonstrate  that 
there  was  scarcely  a  halt  in  the  development  of  Los  Angeles  or  of  the  beautiful  towns  springing  up  around  this 
metropolis  of  the  Great  Southwest.  The  speculative  inflation  of  values  was  all  that  perished  in  the  collapse.  The 
great  solid  substratum  of  merit  remained,  and  the  work  of  building  up  a  great  commonwealth  was  scarcely 
checked  for  a  day. 


RESIDENCE  OF  T.  H.  DUDLEY,  SANTA  MONICA. 


28  ,1/£.V  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SOME  DULL  DAYS. 

The  opening  of  the  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  brought  financial  trouble  so  widespread  that  hardly 
any  portion  of  the  civilized  world  escaped.  The  great  Baring  Brothers'  ventures  in  Argentina  began  to  bear  their 
bitter  fruit,  and  the  embarrassment  begun  on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  affected  London,  then  New  York,, 
and  on  to  San  Francisco  and  Los  Angeles.  Industries  were  paralyzed  for  lack  of  funds  at  all  centers.  The 
change  of  national  administrations  in  the  United  States  after  the  election  of  1892,  and  the  long  struggle  to  pass 
a  new  tariff  bill,  accentuated  the  difficulties  in  this  country.  Meddling  with  tariff  schedules  or  with  the  coinage 
laws  of  a  country  must  always  result  in  commercial  disturbance.  The  long-drawn-out  contest,  lasting  eighteen 
months,  over  the  Wilson  Tariff  Bill,  was  disastrous  to  business.  In  1894  came  the  railroad  strike,  precipitated 
*by  the  wild  and  vicious  leadership  of  Eugene  V.  Debs.  This  tied  up  nearly  all  the  railroads  in  the  country 
for  weeks. 

The  inevitable  result  was  industrial  stagnation.  Coming  as  all  these  influences  did  so  soon  after  the  unbridled: 
speculation  of  the  real  estate  "boom,"  kept  things  in  a.  state  of  chronic  dullness  more  or  less  acute.  That  the 
condition  was  no  worse  was  owing  to  the  indomitable  courage  of  the  business  men  of  Southern  California,  and 
to  the  really  superb  resources  that  underlie  our  progress.  In  1888,  the  year  after  the  "boom"  collapsed,  the  late 
Maj.  George  H.  Bonebrake  and  his  business  associate,  Hon.  John  Bryson,  erected  the  solid  and  handsome  build- 
ing on  the  corner  of  Spring  and  Second  streets.  As  evidence  that  there  was  no  unnatural  inflation  in  the  values 
of  central  business  property,  it  is  enough  to  note  that  the  city  received  $1000  per  front  foot  for  the  lot  on  which 
this  building  was  erected.  Today  it  is  worth  $2500  per  foot,  with  the  building  removed.  It  was  a  handsome 
five-story  building  as  originally  put  up.  Mr.  Bryson  has  just  completed  the  addition  of  two  more  stories.  In 
1887  the  Witmer  Brothers  and  their  associates  put  up  the  California  Bank  building,  on  the  corner  of  Second  street 
and  Broadway.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  directors,  a  year  or  two  after,  in  the  midst  of  the  dull  days,  erected  the  hand- 
some building  occupied  by  that  admirable  organization  until  a  few  weeks  ago.  In  the  next  year  or  two  John  M. 
Griffith,  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Los  Angeles,  erected  the  Potomac  building,  and  in  1892  Judge  John  D. 
Bicknell  erected  the  building  occupied  by  the  Los  Angeles  Furniture  Company.  Dr.  Edgar  followed  with  his 
building,  and  the  Byrne  estate  with  that  on  the  corner  of  Third  street  and  Broadway;  and  then  Harris  Newmark, 
one  of  the  very  early  and  progressive  pioneer  merchants  of  the  city,  put  up  the  Blanchard  Hall  building,  making 
this  block,  on  the  west  side  of  Broadway,  between  Second  and  Third  streets,  a  typical  Los  Angeles  block.  It 
illustrates  the  progressive  spirit,  the  courage  and  enterprise  of  the  people  of  this  metropolis,  for  it  was  all 
done  just  after  the  collapse  of  the  great  "boom,"  in  the  face  of  the  world-wide  stagnation  prevailing  between- 
1890  and  1896.  Following  down  Broadway,  on  the  next  block,  in  these  dull  days,  Homer  Laughlin  put  up  a  six- 
story  fire-proof  building,  which  would  do  credit  to  Chicago  or  New  York.  The  Bradbury  estate  erected,  on' 
the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Third  streets,  another  building  of  the  same  modern  type  and  in  the  most  substantial 
and  lasting  manner.  The  cost  of  building  was  low  in  these  years,  and  these  far-seeing  business  men  saved  large 
sums  of  money  by  building  when  they  did.  Incidentally  they  showed  their  confidence  in  the  future  of  Southern 
California,  gave  employment  to  many  worthy  men  in  need  of  the  wages  they  received,  and  held  the  city  from  going 
backward.  Simultaneously  came  in  the  late  T.  D.  Stimson,  who  erected  a  handsome  six-story  building  on  the 
corner  of  Spring  and  Third  streets,  called  the  Stimson  building,  and  as  soon  as  that  was  completed,  began 
another,  the  Douglas  building,  on  the  opposite  corner  of  the  same  streets.  Others  of  like  spirit  put  up  similar  busi- 
ness edifices  on  other  parts  of  Spring  and  Broadway  and  on  the  cross  streets.  The  result  was  that  less  stress  was 
felt  in  Los  Angeles  and  in  the  surrounding  towns  and  country  districts  during  these  years  of  hard  times  than  in 
any  other  section  of  the  country  or  portion  of  the  world. 

But  it  was  not  all  flush  times.  Business  and  industrial  affairs  were  good  only  by  comparison  with  condi- 
tions elsewhere.  By  the  year  1895,  in  the  winter  lapping  over  into  1896,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  distress  among 
the  class  of  people  who  live  from  hand  to  mouth  on  their  daily  wages.  So  sore  was  the  distress  that  a  public 
subscription  was  taken  up  to  put  the  unemployed  at  work  in  the  public  parks.  Elysian  Park  was  greatly 
improved  by  the  use  of  this  money — more  than  $25,000 — and  many  worthy  people  were  thus  saved  from  suffer- 
ing the  actual  pangs  of  hunger. 

Meantime,  out  in  the  country,  orchardists  were  paying  close  attention  to  their  trees,  and  the  crops  of  citrus 
and  other  fruits  were  increasing.  Prices  were  not  high,  but  there  was  a  margin  of  profit.  The  keeping  of  dairy 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST.  29 

cows  was  extending;  farmers  began  to  pay  more  attention  to  fowls,  and  less  money  went  out  of  the  section  for 
butter,  cheese,  eggs  and  dressed  poultry. 

During  the  whole  of  this  period  the  inflow  of  new  settlers  was  little  checked  by  the  dull  times  at  the  East. 
The  population  increased  every  year,  including  that  after  the  "boom"  collapsed.  More  or  less  new  homes  were 
called  for,  and  the  building  of  these  gave  a  large  number  of  men  profitable  employment.  Many  men  of  large 
wealth  came  not  only  to  this  city,  but  to  North  Pasadena  and  to  all  the  foothill  country.  Some  of  these  erected 
palaces  for  their  homes.  Thomas  D.  Stimson,  already  mentioned  in  this  chapter,  put  up  a  home  on  Figueroa 
street  which  must  have  cost  $100,000.  In  1894,  in  almost  the  worst  of  these  dull  days,  Mrs.  Eliza  Wilson 
erected  a  fine  block  on  Broadway,  which  very  properly  bears  her  name. 

Before  the  "boom"  collapsed  the  newspapers  of  the  city  were  expanded  out  of  all  proportion  by  real  estate 
•advertisements,  for  which  liberal  prices  had  been  paid.  With  the  collapse,  this  business  fell  away.  To  cut  the 
papers  to  the  needs  of  actual  business  and  the  measure  of  their  income  under  the  new  conditions,  would  have 
been  to  betray  the  "nakedness  of  the  land"  to  the  eyes  of  outsiders,  who  were  only  too  ready  to  proclaim  the 
fact  that  Southern  California  was  no  longer  a  place  to  attract  men  with  capital.  To  fill  the  place  once  occupied 
"by  paid  business,  the  newspapers — and  The  Times  may  claim  the  credit  of  occupying  the  head  of  the  class  in 
this  respect — printed  more  and  more  of  the  best  obtainable  reading  matter  at  hand.  Matter  descriptive  of  th^ 
attractions  of  the  climate  and  soil  of  Southern  California  was  given  preference.  The  Midwinter  editions  of  this 
journal,  filled  to  the  extent  of  nearly  a  hundred  pages  with  the  most  carefully-prepared  matter  of  this  character 
to  be  had,  were  sent  out  in  tens  of  thousands.  These  articles  on  the  attractions  and  resources  of  the  section 
were  published  "without  money  and  without  price." 

Soon  after  the  close  of  flush  "boom"  times,  the  late  Joseph  Bayer  sank  an  oil  well  out  near  the  junction  of 
Second  and  First  streets.  The  Witmer  Brothers  had  run  a  little  cable  road  up  Second  street  out  there,  and  opened 
the  western  hills  to  settlement.  Indications  of  oil  had  been  noted  there  for  years.  Bayer's  well  was  successful  in 
•a  small  way.  Edward  H.  Doheny,  an  expert  oil  man  from  Western  Pennsylvania,  hearing  of  the  discovery,  put 
•down  wells,  out  of  which  small  results  were  secured.  The  field  soon  extended  widely,  and  the  production  of  oil 
was  rapidly  increased.  This  had  a  marked  effect  on  the  prosperity  of  the  city.  But  this  oil  industry  will  be 
fully  treated  in  pages  following. 

Xever  did  the  world  see  so  great  a  real  estate  "boom"  as  that  of  Los  Angeles  and  Southern  California  in  1885 
to  1887.  Never  was  there  such  a  crash  in  realtv  as  that  of  1887.  Never  did  a  city  and  section  suffer  so  little 
and  recover  so  quickly  from  a  collapse  as  was  seen  in  Southern  California,  and  particularly  in  Los  Angeles.  When 
the  uplift  in  values  began,  property  was  abnormally  low,  the  possibilities  of  the  section  considered.  A  large 
part  of  the  increase  in  prices  was  entirely  justifiable.  At  the  time  of  the  collapse  the  eyes  of  the  world  were 
turned  to  Los  Angeles,  and  the  many  attractions  of  this  part  of  the  country  had  been  made  known  to  multitudes. 
The  people  whose  homes  and  interests  were  here  knew  what  there  was  of  substantial  worth.  They  never  lost 
•courage,  but  proclaimed  from  the  housetops  in  the  ears  of  the  world  the  truth  concerning  their  section.  That  is 
•why  the  collapse  was  only  an  eddy  in  the  steady  stream  of  prosperity,  a  mere  interruption  in  the  heart-beats  of 
progress  in  a  section  and  city  teeming  with  vital  forces  of  industry  and  growth. 


30  MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  CENTURY. 
/ 

By  the  beginning  of  1897  the  disastrous  effects  of  the  Baring  Brothers'  failure  in  London  had  exhausted 
themselves.  A  long  period  of  stagnation  in  industries  in  all  parts  of  the  world  had  depleted  the  stock  of  finished 
goods  of  all  classes.  In  the  U/nited  States  the  election  of  William  McKinley  to  the  Presidency,  in  1896,  had  the 
effect  of  restoring  confidence  among  business  men,  and  at  once  affairs  began  to  improve.  This  improvement 
grew  with  constantly-accelerating  pace  during  the  closing  years  of  the  century.  All  industries  felt  the  stimulus 
of  the  new  condition  of  affairs.  The  agitation  in  relation  to  silver  coinage  subsided  in  the  United  States.  Silver 
mines  that  would  not  pay  to  work  at  the  prices  current  for  bar  silver  were  abandoned,  and  miners  turned  their 
attention  to  seeking  for  deposits  of  gold.  The  search  was  successful  in  abundant  measure.  The  discovery  of 
the  yellow  metal  in  Alaska  helped  to  swell  the  rising  tide  of  the  new  gold  supply.  The  great  revival  of  manu- 
facturing industries  in  all  civilized  countries,  the  highest  point  of  activity  being  reached  in  the  United  States,  is 
a  fact  too  recent  and  too  generally  well  understood  to  be  yet  a  matter  of  history.  In  Southern  California 
the  government  had  begun  to  construct  a  great  breakwater  at  San  Pedro.  Crops  of  citrus  fruit  were  good,  and 
the  inflow  of  people  became  greater  than  since  the  year  of  the  "boom."  Railroads  were  busy,  houses  began  to 
become  scarce.  Again  activity  in  building  houses  began,  and  mechanics  of  all  kinds  found  ready  employment  at 
good  wages.  People  at  the  East  were  making  money  again  freely,  and  felt  that  they  could  afford  to  spend  some 
of  their  gains  in  travel.  Many  who  for  years  had  had  their  eyes  turned  to  California  as  the  home  of  their  remain- 
ing years,  found  it  possible  to  dispose  of  their  property  and  business  interests,  where  there  was  not  too  much 
sacrifice,  and  come  out  here  at  last. 

In  all  times  and  places  real  estate  is  the  last  to  show  the  effects  of  good  times.  But  as  money  is  made  in 
other  ventures,  there  always  comes  a  disposition  to  put  some  of  the  surplus  into  property  which  cannot  all  "take 
wings  and  fly  away."  This  took  place  to  a  remarkable  degree  in  Southern  California  during  the  last  year  or  two 
of  the  century.  It  might  appear  that  the  lesson  of  the  boom  and  its  collapse  would  have  deterred  wise  men  from 
investing  in  real  property  in  Southern  California.  The  fact  is,  the  disasters  of  the  collapsed  "boom"  were  confined 
to  people  who  bought  beyond  their  means,  or  to  those  who  put  their  money  out  carelessly  in  "wild-cat"  townsites. 
Good  lands  in  the  territory  south  of  the  Tehachepi  Pass  never  touched  a  point  in  values  above  their  intrinsic 
worth  in  the  wildest  moment  of  the  "boom."  Many  lose  money  who  had  tried  to  hold  ten,  twenty,  fifty  times 
more  property  than  they  could  pay  for.  Others  lost  by  thoughtlessly  putting  money  into  townsites  on  the  tops 
of  steep  mountains,  in  river  bottoms,  or  in  poor  lands  at  the  price  of  good  lands.  There  were  instances  of 
marvelous  inflation  of  values,  but  this  was  not  general.  During  the  dull  times  there  was  selling  pressure  on  really 
desirable  business  and  residence  property,  and  much  of  such  character  fell  back  below  its  intrinsic  value.  With 
the  return  of  confidence,  with  the  growth  of  population  again  and  the  constant  demand  for  homes,  and  with  the 
natural  demand  for  new  business  ventures  which  were  multiplying  in  all  directions,  real  estate  values  began  to 
grow  firm  and  even  to  appreciate  a  little.  Still  there  were  a  great  many  people  who  had  been  carrying  an  exces- 
sive load  of  unproductive  property  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  these  were  willing  sellers  at  any  price  which 
would  let  them  out  of  their  investments  without  too  much  loss  of  capital.  Many  eastern  people  were  coming  in 
who  wanted  a  winter  home  in  Southern  California,  where  they  and  their  families  might  be  exempt  from  the  rigors 
of  eastern  blizzards  and  temperatures  ranging  from  20°  to  50°  below  zero.  There  thus  grew  up  an  active 
demand  for  small  tracts  of  land  along  the  foothills.  Pasadena  grew  very  rapidly.  Redlands  became  a  city  of 
considerable  population.  At  Pasadena  men  of  wealth,  like  Andrew  McNally,  the  Chicago  publisher,  built  for 
themselves  handsome  places.  At  Redlands  the  Smiley  brothers  were  developing  Smiley  Heights  into  a  para- 
dise such  as  could  hardly  be  matched  elsewhere  on  earth.  So  many  were  the  tourists  who  came  to  spend  the 
winter  that  such  men  as  I.  N.  Van  Nuys  were  led  to  erect  sumptuous  hotels,  like  the  Van  Nuys  in  this  city ; 
and  P.  M.  Green  and  others  put  up  or  added  materially  to  similar  hostelries  in  Pasadena  and  other  cities.  In  the 
"boom"  days,  Walter  Raymond,  the  conductor  of  excursions  to  Southern  California,  had  put  up  a  famous  hotel, 
the  Raymond,  at  South  Pasadena.  This  had  been  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  site  had  stood  unoccupied  for 
several  years  during  the  business  stagnation.  With  the  turn  of  the  financial  tide,  Mr.  Raymond  reconstructed 
the  Raymond  on  the  old  site  and  on  a  scale  far  superior  to  the  one  destroyed  by  fire. 

So  the  century  passed  into  history  with  a  revival  of  progress  in  the  land  where  the  great  "boom"  had  col- 
lapsed. In  1880  the  Federal  census  had  credited  the  city  of  Los  Angeles  with  a  population  of  about  11,000  souls'. 
The  county  had  33,000,  and  what  is  now  Orange  county  was  then  in  Los  Angeles  county.  In  1890  the  city  had 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


31 


51,000  people,  and  the  county  (although  Orange  county  had  been  erected  out  of  a  large  slice  of  the  old  territory,) 
had  over  100,000.  The  census  of  1900  gave  the  city  102,000  and  the  county  170,298.  The  growth  from  1880  to 
i8yo  astonished  all  who  heard  of  it.  It  was  an  increase  of  about  40,000  for  the  city  and  for  the  county  nearly 
70,000.  For  the  ten  years  between  1890  and  1900  the  city  showed  a  growth  of  over  50,000  and  the  county 
nearly  70,000. 


THE  OUTPOST,  HOLLYWOOD. 


This  adobe,  still  standing  on  the  country  place  of  Gen.  H.  G.  Otis,  was  the  ranch  house  on  the  Rancho  Cahuenga, 
and  was  the  headquarters  of  Gen.  Andres  Pico,  in  command  of  the  final  remnant  of  the  Mexican  forces  when  the 
Americans  took  possession  of  Los  Angeles  and  of  California  generally.  The  "treaty  of  peace"  signed  by  Capt. 
John  C.  Fremont  and  Gen.  Andres  Pico  is  a  very  remarkable  document. 


32 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


USINESS 


*l        «"  ft  =^  •  •• 

*-Ti  li^^l 

Ffe  T 

Nl 


American  National  Bank. 
Frost  Building. 

Los  Angeles  Trust  Building. 


O.  T.  Johnson  Building. 
Conservative  Life  Building. 


Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Union  Trust  Building. 
Bryson  Building 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST.  '     33 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  STORY  CF  TODAY. 

As  stated  at  the  close  of  the  last  chapter,  the  Federal  census  of  1900  showed  in  the  city  of  Los  Angeles  a 
population  of  102,000.  The  third  year  of  the  new  century  is  drawing  to  a  close  as  this  chapter  is  being  prepared 
for  the  press.  The  population  inside  the  city  is  growing  at  not  less  than  1000  a  month.  Careful  estimates  indi- 
cate a  present  population  of  between  140,000  and  150,000.  Taking  the  Federal  census  of  1900  and  the  local  school 
census  of  the  same  year,  and  comparing  these  figures  with  the  school  census  of  the  spring  of  1903,  there  results 
an  apparent  population  of  136,000  at  that  time.  This  estimate  is  fully  confirmed  by  the  new  connections  made 
by  the  city  water  company,  and  again  by  the  permits  for  new  buildings  issued  by  the  Superintendent  of 
Buildings  for  the  three  years  since  the  Federal  census  was  taken.  Going  back  as  far  as  1894,  the  year  when 
business  stagnation  had  settled  down  over  the  United  States  like  a  pall,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  building  activity 
in  Los  Angeles.  The  permits  for  new  buildings  for  that  year  amounted  to  $2,398,607.  In  1895,  when  depres- 
sion still  existed  everywhere  else,  there  were  new  buildings  put  up  in  this  progressive  city  which  cost  $4,033,496. 
Next  year,  the  worst  of  all,  the  new  buildings  cost  $2,622,291.  There  was  no  improvement  in  this  line  during  the 
next  two  years,  the  new  buildings  costing  $2,614,575  for  1897  and  $2,283,005  for  1898.  In  1899  business  was 
still  slow,  the  cost  of  improvements  in  the  building  line  being  $2,245,792.  The  century  closed  with  a  record  of 
$2,489,000  for  the  year,  marking  a  slight  turn  in  the  tide.  No  city  of  the  same  size  in  the  country  showed  so 
great  growth  in  this  period  of  stagnation  as  did  Los  Angeles.  The  opening  year  of  the  century  marked  a  decided 
improvement,  $4,099,198  being  expended  on  new  buildings.  In  1902  this  was  more  than  doubled,  the  record 
being  $9,603,132.  The  year  1903  shows  a  far  greater  sum  spent  in  new  buildings  than  the  figure  for 
the  whole  of  last  year.  The  expenditure  runs  at  an  average  of  $350,000  a  day  for  all  the  time.  January,  1903, 
opened  with  a  record  of  486  permits  for  new  buildings,  to  cost  $1,908,455.  For  the  first  six  months  of  the  year 
the  gross  sum  comes  to  $6,418,663,  more  than  a  million  dollars  a  month.  During  the  next  three  months  there 
were  taken  out  1888  permits  for  buildings  to  cost  $3,279,136.  The  first  half  of  October  has  a  record  of  439  per- 
mits for  new  buildings,  whose  aggregate  cost  will  be  $888,995.  There  is  no  sign  of  any  slackening  in  building 
through  the  year  1904.  Architects  already  report  plans  for  1904  for  new  buildings  to  cost  over  $2,000,000.  How 
pressing  the  need  for  these  new  structures  is  will  appear  from  the  well-known  fact  that  wooden  buildings  of  good 
construction  are  costing  $400  a  room  for  flats  of  about  four  to  six-room  apartments.  Where  the  style  is  above 
the  average  of  wooden  buildings,  the  cost  is  $500  a  room. 

At  the  present  time,  residences  costing  $10,000  to  $20,000  each  are  common.  Some  fine  homes  are  costing 
as  high  as  $50,000.  There  are  now  being  constructed  three  business  blocks  of  twelve  to  fourteen  stories,  with 
steel  frames  and  pressed-brick  facings,  fire-proof  in  all  respects  and  of  the  highest  type  of  modern  building.  This 
style  of  edifice  was  first  begun  here  by  Homer  Laughlin,  the  Bradbury  estate  and  T.  D.  Stimson.  The  Lanker- 
shim  building,  the  Henne  building  and  the  Frost  building  followed  in  similar  substantial  style.  Such  a  structure, 
too,  was  the  A'an  Nuys  Hotel,  and  this  was  followed  by  the  Angelus,  erected  by  John  W.  Hunt.  The  acme  was 
reached  first  in  the  Union  Trust  Company's  building  on  the  comer  of  Spring  and  Fourth  streets,  followed 
by  Herman  W.  Hellman,  on  the  opposite  corner,  and  then  by  H.  E.  Huntington.  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Sixth. 
There  is  nothing  superior  to  these  three  structures  in  any  city  on  the  globe.  The  most  modern  methods  known 
to  the  building  trades  are  observed  in  all  the  details  of  these  structures.  The  Times  Building,  on  the  corner 
of  First  and  Broadway,  is  undergoing  transformation  and  enlargement. 

Whence  comes  all  this  impetus  in  the  building  line?  First,  from  the  general  prosperity  existing  throughout 
the  whole  country  and  the  concentration  here  of  so  many  men  of  great  wealth.  But  most  of  all  from  the  magnifi- 
cent development  made  in  and  about  Los  Angeles  by  a  syndicate  of  four  great  men.  When  the  late  C. 
Huntington  passed  away,  leaving  a  vast  fortune  of  about  $30,000,000  to  his  nephew,  Henry  E.  Huntington,  Los 
Angeles  was  familiar  ground  to  the  enterprising  possessor  of  this  great  sum.  The  Huntingtons  are  of  the  type 
of  people  who  do  things.  They  are  builders.  One  of  the  closest  friends  of  the  Huntingtons  on  the  coas 
years  has  been  Isaias  W.  Hellman.  These  men  associated  with  themselves  Christian  de  Guisne  and  Antome 
Borel  of  San  Francisco.  These  may  be  called  the  "Big  Four"  of  Los  Angeles.  Securing  control  of  the  street- 
railway  system  of  the  city,  they  proceeded  to  spend  a  couple  of  million  dollars  in  putting  it  in  as  good  condition 
as  skill  and  money  could  do  the  work.  They  then  went  on  to  construct  electric  lines  to  all  important  points 
within  twenty  or  thirty  miles  of  Los  Angeles,  making  a  great  network  of  roads,  radiating  like  spokes  of  a  wheel, 


34 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST.  35 

with  the  city  as  the  hub.  They  have  put  in  something  like  $5,000,000  a  year  in  this  new  work,  giving  employment 
to  an  army  of  men  and  putting  a  flood  of  money  into  circulation  week  by  week.  Great  car  barns  and  a  system  of 
shops  for  the  repair  and  construction  of  cars  form  another  important  feature  of  this  enterprise.  Shortly  before 
the  close  of  the  last  century,  the  Hook  brothers  came  from  Denver  to  Los  Angeles  and  put  in  a  competing 
system  of  electric  roads  of  the  best  type,  covering  certain  portions  of  the  city.  The  activity  of  the  Hunting- 
ton-Hellman  syndicate  stirred  up  their  competitors,  and  :he  Hooks  built  lines  to  the  beaches.  During  the  last 
few  months  the  Huntingdon  syndicate  has  acquired  complete  control  of  the  Hook  system.  About  ten  years 
before  this.  Gen.  M.  H.  Sherman  and  E.  P.  Clark  constructed  a  well-built  and  thoroughly-equipped  electric  road 
to  Pasadena,  and  to  the  beach  at  Santa  Monica.  The  Huntington  interests  secured  the  Pasadena  road,  but  the 
Sherman-Clark  interest  kept  control  of  the  line  to  Santa  Monica.  This  they  have  improved  by  building  a  cut-off 
to  shorten  the  distance,  and  at  the  same  time  reach  the  beach  at  new  points.  The  outcome  of  all  this  is  that  Los 
Angeles  has  a  system  of  urban  and  interurban  rapid-transit  roads  surpassed  by  no  city  in  the  country,  and  matched 
by  only  two  or  three.  The  work  is  by  no  means  done.  Construction  is  going  on  in  several  directions,  at  a  pace 
as  rapid  as  at  any  previous  time.  The  plans  of  the  "Big  Four"  are  far-reaching,  contemplating  lines  to  San 
Bernardino,  Riverside  and  Redlands,  on  one  side,  and  Santa  Barbara  on  the  other,  with  a  possibility  of  going 
as  far  as  San  Diego,  south,  and  San  Francisco,  north. 

Another  factor  in  the  great  development  of  the  immediate  past,  of  the  present  moment,  and  of  the  immediate 
future,  is  the  interest  Senator  W.  A.  Clark  of  Montana  has  taken  in  Southern  California.  The  success  of  the 
Oxnard  Sugar  Factory,  at  Chino,  suggested  to  Senator  Clark  and  his  brother,  J.  Ross  Clark,  that  there  was  an 
opening  here  in  this  industry.  Six  years  ago  or  more  they  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  between  Anaheim  and 
the  ocean,  on  which  they  put  up  a  large  sugar  factory.  This  brought  this  enterprising  man  of  affairs  frequently 
to  Los  Angeles.  When  T.  B.  Burnett  came  here,  some  dozen  years  ago,  and,  as  the  representative  of  Hon. 
Richard  C.  Kerens  of  St.  Louis,  George  B  Leighton  of  Vermont  and  others,  spent  from  $3,000.000  to 
$5,000,000  on  the  Terminal  Railroad  system,  the  plan  was  to  build  on  to  Salt  Lake.  Then  came  the  years  of 
general  depression,  and  the  plan  lay  in  abeyance.  It  remained  for  Thomas  E.  Gibbon  of  this  city  to  find  the  one 
man  in  the  United  States  t<  i  take  up  this  great  enterprise.  That  man  must  be  free  from  all  other  railroad  entan- 
glements, and  must  be  able  to  build  the  road  in  the  face  of  the  strong  opposition  existing  roads  were  sure  to  raise. 
Senator  Clark  was  not  a  railroad  man,  and  his  annual  income  was  so  colossal  that  it  would  suffice  to  build  the 
road  without  selling  a  bond.  Gibbon  found  the  right  man,  and  consummated  the  sale  of  the  Terminal  road  to 
that  man.  Senator  Clark  at  once  began  the  construction  of  a  railroad  on  the  most  advanced  modern  plan,  with 
the  finest  roadbed,  the  heaviest  steel  rails  and  the  best  equipment  known  in  the  American  railroad  world.  The 
line  to  San  Pedro  was  practically  rebuilt,  and  then  a  new  line  was  begun  to  Pomona,  thence  to  Riverside,  ulti- 
mately to  go  over  the  mountains  and  on  to  Salt  Lake.  It  is  an  open  secret  that  those  in  control  of  existing  lines, 
which  were  to  be  practically  paralleled  by  Senator  Clark's  enterprise,  put  every  possible  obstacle  in  the  way. 
Their  efforts  proved  futile,  and  the  outcome  has  been  that  Senator  Clark  has  secured  the  branch  of  the  Oregon 
Short  Line,  running  in  a  southwesterly  direction  through  Utah  into  Nevada.  As  1904  opens,'  large  forces  of 
builders  are  at  work  in  Utah  and  on  the  California  end  of  the  San  Pedro,  Los  Angeles  and  Salt  Lake  road, 
pushing  on  to  complete  the  gap  between  this  city  and  the  Great  Salt  Lake. 

Such  is  the  condition  of  affairs  in  these  opening  days  of  1904.  Population  in  Los  Angeles  is  increasing  at 
the  rate  of  1000  a  month.  The  Huntington-Hellman  syndicate  is  spending  three  or  four  million  dollars  a  year 
in  building  a  network  of  interurban  railroads  all  over  Southern  California.  Senator  Clark  is  rushing  work  on  a 
new  transcontinental  railroad,  which  will  give  Los  Angeles  five  several  connections  with  all  points  of  the  compass, 
northerly  and  easterly.  The  government  is  spending  half  a  million  dollars  a  year  in  making  accommodations  for 
ocean-going  vessels  at  San  Pedro,  with  an  inner  harbor  at  Wilmington.  The  people  of  Los  Angeles  generally  are 
spending  over  a  million  dollars  a  month  in  the  erection  of  new  edifices  in  the  city.  All  the  surrounding  towns 
are  growing  apace,  and  the  country  is  filling  up  as  rapidly,  or  nearly  so,  as  the  city  is.  The  citrus  crop  now  on 
the  trees,  and  soon  to  come  on  the  market,  is  estimated  at  35,000  carloads,  over  10,000,000  boxes,  worth  probably 
$10,000,000  to  the  growers,  and  nearly,  if  not  quite,  $20,000,000  to  the  section,  including  picking,  packing  and 
freight  charges. 

Here,  fortunately,  Labor  is  free  and  Capital  not  unwarrantably  restricted.  There  is  scarce  a  cloud  on  the 
sky  of  the  industrial  situation  in  Southern  California.  Here  is  going  on  the  most  remarkable  development  ever 
known  to  mankind,  and  it  seems  destined  to  go  on  without  let  or  hindrance  for  an  indefinite  time  to  come. 
There  appears  no  influence  likely  to  check,  for  long,  prosperity  in  this  section  for  the  next  fifty  years  to  come. 
Judging  the  future  by  the  past,  the  conclusion  is  forced  on  the  mind  of  those  who  think,  that  prosperity  is  to  be 
the  lot  of  all  deserving  people  who  dwell  in  Southern  California,  almost  in  spite  of  any  events  that  may  come  else- 
where, no  matter  how  depressing  their  influences  may  be. 


36 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


37 


There  are  thirteen  commercial  banks  in  Los  Angeles,  with  a  combined  capital  and  surplus  of  over 
$7,000,000,  and  deposits  of  nearly  $30,000,000.  There  are  nine  savings  banks,  with  nearly  $17,000,000.  The 
clearances  for  the  current  year  will  come  to  more  than  $250,000,000. 

There  are  134  churches,  embracing  all  the  principal  denominations  of  religion.  They  are  presided  over  by 
faithful  pastors  and  eloquent  preachers,  and  the  membership  indicates  that  religious  enterprises  share  in  the 
general  prosperity. 

In  the  city  are  sixty-three  public  schools,  including  a  State  Normal  institution,  with  an  attendance  of  over 
looo  pupils.  There  are  ten  private  schools.  There  are  over  600  teachers  and  over  30,000  children  who  attend. 

The  Public  Library  contains  a  total  of  80,000  volumes,  and  the  circulation  last  year  amounted  to  806,000, 
which  is  one  book  in  every  ten  days  for  each  family  in  the  city.  This  indicates  a  very  high  grade  of  intelligence. 


AMERICAN  MAYORS  OF  LOS  ANGELES  CITY. 


1850  A.  P.  Hodges 

1851  B.  D.  Wilson 

1852  John  G.  Nichols 

1853  A.  F.  Coronel 

1854  Stephen  C.  Foster 

1855  Thos.  Foster 

1856  Stephen  C.  Foster 
1857-8  John  G.  Nichols 

1859  D.  Marchessault 

1860  H.  Mellus 
1861-4  D.   Marchessault 
1865  Jose  Mascarel 
1868-9  C.  Aguilar 
1869-71  Joel  Turner 
1871-2  C.  Aguilar 


1873-4  J.  R.  Toberman 

1875-6  Prudent  Beaudry 

1877-8  F.  A.  McDougal 

1879-82  J.  R.  Toberman 

1883-4  Cameron  E.  Thorn 

1885-6  E.  F.  Spence 

1887-8  Wm.  H.  Workman 

1889  John  Bryson 

1889-92  H.  T.  Hazard 

1893-4  T.  E.  Rowan 

1895-6  Frank  Rader 

1897-8  M.  P.  Snyder 
1899-1900  Fred  Eaton 

1901-4  M.  P.  Snyder 


POPULATION. 


City. 


1850 

i860 
1870 
i88o 
1890 
1900 


1,610 
4,399 


11,183 

50,395 
102,479 
140,000 


County. 

1850   3,530 

1860  U.333 

1870  15,309 

1880  33,88i 

1890  101454 

1900  170,298 


^Estimated. 

ASSESSMENT  VALUATIONS  ON  CITY  PROPERTY. 


1860  S  1,425,648 

1870  2,108,061 

1880  ". ...  7,259,598 

1883  12,232,353 

1884  14,232,353 

1885  16,273,535 

1886  i8,448,535 

1887  27,803,924 


1888  $  39,476,712 

1889  46,997,101 

1890  49,320,670 

1896  52,242,302 

1898  60,930,266 

1899  64,915,320 

1900  67,576,047 

1903  109,923,823 


ASSESSMENT  VALUATIONS  ON  COUNTY  PROPERTY. 


1870  $    6,918,074 

1883   26,138,117 


1888    $102,701,629 

1903  164,620,322 


38 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


^  *.<  RvvA'y 


./GRIFFIM  RVD  ^CMOOLX' 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


39 


OUTSIDE  TOWNS. 

Of  the  outside  towns  in  Los  Angeles  county,  the  oldest  is  San  Gabriel,  founded  by  the  mission  fathers  in  1771, 
at  the  old  mission,  and  the  present  village  a  few  years  later. 

San  Pedro  became  the  embarcadero,  or  port,  to  Los  Angeles  and  the  back  country  as  soon  as  the  Mission 
San  Gabriel  and  Pueblo 
Los  Angeles  were  founded. 
El  Monte  was  one  of  the 
first  villages  founded  by 
Americans.  In  1852  J.  A. 
King,  William  B.  Lee, 
Samuel  King  and  Dr.  T. 
A.  Mayes  settled  there.  A 
year  later  T.  A.  Garey, 
still  living  and  for  fifty 
years  known  as  one  of 
the  most  skillful  horticul- 
turists in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia, settled  at  El  Monte. 
Among  other  early  set- 
tlers were  Ira  W.  Thomp- 
son, Samuel  M.  Heath,  Dr. 
Obed  Macy  and  F.  W.  Gib- 
son. In  1857  there  were 
fifty  families  there. 

The  first  "colony"  found- 
ed   in    Southern  California 

was    at    Anaheim,  where  a  large  number  of  German  people  settled  in   1857.     Gen.  Banning  settled  at  Wilming- 
ton in  1858. 

Antonio  Maria  Lugo  settled  near  Downey  in  1855.     About  1860  ex-Gov.  John  G.  Downey  obtained  possession 

of  a  part  of  the  Rancho 
Santa  Gertrudes,  and  after 
the  war  a  number  of  South- 
ern people  settled,  first  at 
Gallatin,  near  where  Rivera 
is  now,  but  Downey  City 
soon  took  the  lead. 

In  1860  Senator  John  P. 
Jones  and  Col.  R.  S.  Baker 
secured  possession  of  the 
lands  above  Santa  Monica, 
and  a  city  began  to  loom  up 
there  soon  after. 

In  1873  the  "Indiana  col- 
ony" bought  the  San  Pas- 
qual  Rancho  from  Dr.  John 
S.  Griffin.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  Pasadena. 
In  1874  Rev.  Chas.  F. 


XARK'S  RESIDENCE,  SANTA  MONICA. 


MRS.  G.  S.  HOLMES'  RESIDENCE,  OCEAN  VIEW  AVENUE,  SANTA  MONICA. 


Loop  settled  at  Pomona, 
and  largely  through  his  en- 
terprise the  foundations  of  that  city  were  laid.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  in  the  State  to  promote  olive  grow- 
ing, both  for  making  oil  and  pickling,  making  a  special  visit  to  France  and  Italy,  whence  he  imported  several 
new  varieties  of  olive  trees. 

Monrovia  and  Whittier  and  many  smaller  places  are  the  outgrowth  of  the  great  "boom." 


MfflEHT. 


HENRY  EDWARDS  HUNTINGTON. 


lEACE  hath  her  victories  no  less  renowned  than  war" 
is  an  axiom  than  is  usually  assented  to  by  most 
people  in  a  perfunctory  way.  Yet  it  must  he 
admitted  that  up  to  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century  the 
man  of  peace  played  but  an  insignificant  role  in  the  drama 
of  life,  in  comparison  with  the  martial  hero.  During  the  past 
few  years  there  has 
been  noticeable 
somet  h  i  n  g  of  a 
change  in  this  re- 
spect in  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  world.  Our 
great  captains  of  ;n- 
dustry  are  coming 
into  their  own.  This 
is  right,  for  surely 
if  the  man  who 
causes  two  blades  of 
grass  to  grow 
where  one  grew  be- 
fore is  deserving  of 
credit,  how  much 
more  so,  then,  the 
man  who  furnishes 
profitable  occupa- 
tions for  thousands, 
and  creates  happy 
homes  in  the  wil- 
derness. This  page 
is  devoted  to  a  brief 
mention  of  some  of 
the  leading  achieve- 
ments of  one  of 
these  captains  of  in- 
dustry, H.  E.  Hun- 
tington,  during  his 
brief  residence  of 
five  years  in  South- 
ern California. 

Henry  Edw  a  r  d  s 
Huntington  is  a  na- 
tive of  Oneonta,  N. 
Y..  where  he  was 
born  in  the  early 
'50' s.  After  acquir- 
ing an  education  in 
the  best  schools  of 
the  day,  he  early 
commenced  his  bus- 
iness career.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  identified  with 
various  important  enterprises  in  the  East  and  South,  before 
finally  coming  to  California,  where  he  at  once  became  con- 
nected with  his  extensive  interests  in  the  management  of  :he 
Southern  Pacific  Railroad. 

By  common  consent,  the  birth  of  Los  Angeles,  as  a  modern 


HENRY  EDWARDS 


American  metropolis,  dates  from  the  gth  day  of  November, 
1885,  when  the  last  spike  was  driven  on  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  Railway,  at  the  Cajon  Pass,  thus  completing  what  this 
city  had  long  yearned  for,  a  new  route  from  the  Atlantic  to 
the  Pacific,  providing  competition  in  overland  railroad  trans- 
portation. It  is  not  unreasonable  to  claim  that  the  second 

stage  in  this  era 
may  be  prope  r  1  y 
reckoned  to  have 
commenced  thirteen 
years  later,  when,  in 
October,  1898,  Mr. 
Huntington,  having 
sold  out  his  inter- 
ests in  the  street- 
railway  system  of 
San  Francisco,  pur- 
chased, with  his  as- 
sociates, the  Los 
Angeles  street  rail- 
roads, or  the  major 
portion  of  the  m. 
After  the  subsidence 
of  the  great  real  es- 
tate boom  of  1886- 
87,  which  followed 
the  arrival  of  the 
Santa  Fe  system  in 
Southern  California, 
there  was  something 
of  a  lull  in  Los  An- 
geles. There  was 
no  crash,  but  a 
breathing  spell,  dur- 
irg  which  our  peo- 
ple had  a  chance  to 
take  stock  and  see 
where  they  stood. 
Then  followed  an 
era  of  building  and 
steady  but  unsensa- 
tional  development. 
It  took  about  a  year 
after  Mr.  Hunting- 
ton's  identification 
with  the  interests  of 
HUNTINGTON.  this  section  for  our 

people      to      realize 

what  it  meant  to  Los  Angeles  and  Southern  California.  Then 
began  an  upward  movement  that  has  astonished  the  country. 
Without  going  into  details,  it  is  sufficient  to  state  that  the 
assessed  valuation  of  property  in  Los  Angeles  county,  which 
in  1808  was  $90,819.643,  had  risen  in  1903  to  $169,268,166,  ind 
that  the  value  of  buildings  erected  in  Los  Angeles  city  during 


MRN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


41 


the  past  year  amounted  to  about  $13,000,000.  6ome  chronic 
complainers  may  perhaps  charge  that  a  large  percentage  of 
this  increased  assessment  is  directly  due  to  Mr.  Huntington's 
activity.  Perhaps  they  are  right. 

Twenty  years  ago  there  were  in  Los  Angeles  a  couple  of 
horse-car  lines,  the  little  cars  making  infrequent  trips 
Three  years  later,  at  the  time  of  the  real  estate  boom,  two 
short  lines  of  cable  road  were  operating  on  the  western  hills, 
one  on  Temple  street  and  the  other  on  Second  street,  and  a 
rickety  sort  of  an  electric  line — said  to  have  been  the  second 
in  the  United  States — was  being  built  out  Pico  street  by  a 
real  estate  speculator,  who  had  subdivided  a  tract  at  the  end 
of  the  line.  A  few  years  later  a  cable  system — called  com- 
plete for  that  time — was  built,  at  large  expense,  involving 
heavy  financial  loss  to  Chicago  capitalists,  upon  whom  the 
bonds  were  unloaded,  and  who  have  doubtless  not  yet  for- 
gotten it.  This  system  was  solidly  constructed,  as  was 
realized  when  it  became  necessary  to  tear  up  the  roadbed  of 
the  cable.  The  motive  power  was  subsequently  changed  to 
electricity,  and  then,  as  stated,  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Huntington  syndicate,  in  October,  1898.  Los  Angeles  people 
considered  this  a  very  good  railroad  system  at  the  time,  and 
were  rather  proud  of  it.  but  Mr.  Huntington  immediately 
began  to  make  radical  changes  and  improvements,  expense 
being  apparently  no  object,  until  today  Los  Angeles  has 
undoubtedly  the  most  complete  street-railroad  system  (abso- 
lutely} of  any  city  in  the  United  States. 

Not  only  is  the  system  thoroughly  well  built,  with  heavy 
rails  and  jointless.  so  as  to  make  travel  easy,  but  the  equip- 
ment is  also  modern  and  up-to-date,  the  large,  clean,  hand- 
some cars  exciting  the  admiration  of  visitors  from  the  North 
and  East,  who  also  frequently  express  pleasure  at  the  uniform 
courtesy  and  gentlemanly  bearing  of  the  street-car  men,  a 
feature  that  is  unfortunately  too  often  lacking  in  other  cities. 
The  cars  run  at  frequent  intervals,  from  early  in  the  morn- 
ing until  late  at  night.  One  may  ride  from  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  city  to  the  city  limits,  between  Los  Angeles 
and  Pasadena,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  for  a  nickel,  and 
in  several  other  directions,  by  means  of  transfers,  for  almost 
an  equal  distance.  The  Los  Angeles  Railway  Companv 
operates  298  cars  and  employs  1300  men.  It  has  115  miles  of 
double  track  within  the  city. 

The  Pacific  Electric  Railroad  was  the  name  adopted  for 
the  corporation  managing  the  suburban  electric  lines  of  the 
Huntington  system,  Mr.  Huntington  having  acquired  the  line 
to  Pasadena,  and  outlining  a  plan  for  an  extensive  system 
of  suburban  railroads,  reaching  out  from  Los  Angeles  in 
every  direction.  Since  then,  in  addition  to  the  Pasadena  line 
and  the  new  short  line  to  that  place,  there  have  been  com- 
pleted electric  railroads  to  Monrovia,  Alhambra,  San  Gabriel, 
Whittier,  Long  Beach  and  Alamitos  Beach.  An  extension 
is  being  constructed  from  Alamitos  Beach  to  Newport 
Beach,  which  will  run  for  the  entire  distance  along  the  ocean 
front,  passing  the  Bolsa  Chica  and  other  gun  clubs.  This  is 
but  the  beginning.  Further  and  larger  extensions  are 
planned.  It  has  been  conclusively  shown  that  where  elec- 
tricity comes  in  competition  with  steam  for  passenger  traffic, 
steam  has  to  give  way. 

The  building  of  such  an  extensive  system  of  street  railway 
naturally  entailed  the  creation  of  car  shops,  houses  and  other 
appurtenances.  A  centrally  located  tract  of  twenty-eight 
acres  was  purchased  at  Seventh  street  and  Central  avenue, 
which  is  all  occupied  by  the  shops  and  yards. 

The  total  number  of  men  employed  by  the  Los  Angeles 
Railway  and  Pacific  Electric  companies,  including  those 
working  in  the  shops,  power-house,  etc.,  but  not  including 
those  engaged  in  new  construction  work,  is  about  4000. 


A  noteworthy  achievement  of  Mr.  Huntington  in  Los  Ange- 
les has  been  the  construction  of  a  mammoth  building,  at  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Sixth  streets,  designed  primarily  as  the 
central  station  for  all  the  company's  urban  cars  and  as  an 
office  for  his  various  companies,  the  rest  of  the  space  to  be 
devoted  to  office  purposes.  The  building,  which  is  rapidly 
approaching  completion,  is  nine  stories  in  heignt,  each  having 
a  little  over  an  acre  of  floor  space,  making  altogether  eleven 
acres,  giving  it  the  largest  amount  of  floor  space  of  any 
building  west  of  Chicago.  It  is  absolutely  fireproof. 

Mr.  Huntirrgton  is  something  more  than  a  mere  "common 
carrier."  He  is  net  only  a  railroad  builder,  but  a  town 
builder.  He  likes  to  see  improvements  spring  up,  under  the 
magic  touch  of  the  wands  of  science  and  capital. 

There  have  been  incorporated,  in  connection  with  the  Los 
Angeles  Railway  Company,  three  affiliated  land  companies, 
the  Los  Angeles  Land  Company,  with  the  same  personnel  as 
the  railroad  company;  the  Pacific  Electric  Land  Company, 
and  the  Huntington  Land  and  Improvement  Company,  the 
latter  representing  Mr.  Huntington's  personal  land  holdings. 
Since  his  arrival  in  Southern  California,  Mr.  Huntington  has 
been  a  steady  and  persistent  purchaser  of  desirable  real  estate, 
both  city  and  country.  So  judicious  have  been  his  invest- 
ments and  so  invariable  the  subsequent  rise  in  values,  that 
the  mere  intimation  that  "Huntington  has  been  buying"  in  any 
particular  section  is  sufficient  to  start  a  small-sized  boom 
and  cause  investors  to  scurry  around  in  his  wake. 

One  of  the  first  sections  to  catch  the  discerning  eye  of 
Mr.  Huntington,  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia, was  the  San  Gabriel  Valley.  Here  and  hereabouts, 
during  the  past  year  or  two,  Mr.  Huntington  has  quietly 
acquired  property  in  various  sized  tracts,  until  he  now  has 
hundreds  of  acres,  extending  from  Pasadena  on  the  north 
to  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  line,  at  Shorb,  on  the  south. 

Here,  along  the  slope  that  overlooks  the  lower  valley,  were 
the  homes  of  many  old-timers,  who  selected  this  spot  when 
they  could  have  had  the  pick  of  almost  everything,  from 
Santa  Barbara  to  San  Diego— the  Wilsons,  the  Shorbs,  and 
the  Stonemans,  and  the  Roses,  and  the  Winstons  arid  others, 
who  comprised  the  "first  families"  of  Los  Angeles  county 
in  those  days.  The  view  from  the  summit  of  this  ridge  is 
far-reaching  and  magnificent. 

"The  mountains  look  on  Marathon, 
And  Marathon   looks  on  the  sea." 

In  the  rear,  the  picture  is  framed  by  the  pine-clad  Sierra 
Madre.  Around  about  is  a  perfect  forest  of  magnificent  live 
oaks,  forming  a  natural  park,  with  here  and  there  an  opening, 
disclosing  groves,  vineyards  and  ornamental  trees.  Away  off 
to  the  south  and  southeast  stretch  a  succession  of  rolling 
hills  and  smiling  valleys,  arid  in  the  extreme  distance  looms 
up  from  the  bosom  of  the  Pacific  the  Magic  Isle.  Here  Mr. 
Huntington  is  laying  out  high-class  residence  subdivisions, 
intended  for  people  who  have  not  only  wealth,  but  taste.  It 
is  only  thirty  minutes'  ride  by  electric  car  from  the  business 
center  to  this  delightful  spot.  No  street  will  be  less  than 
eighty  feet  in  width,  and  the  main  avenue  is  120  feet  wide. 
The  street  improvements  are  of  the  highest  class. 

Mr.  Huntington  comes  legitimately  by  his  ability  as  a  rail- 
road man.  His  uncle  and  early  patron,  Collis  P.  Huntington, 
was  one  of  the  great  railroad  builders  of  the  United  States, 
filling  a  similar  position  in  the  West,  as  a  builder  and  operator 
of  steam  railroads,  to  that  which  his  nephew  holds  in  South- 
ern California,  as  an  electric  railroad  man.  Both  have  been 
men  cognizant  of  every  detail  of  their  business,  masterful, 
dominating  those  with  whom  they  have  come  in  contact,  and 
injecting  enthusiasm  and  loyalty  into  all  their  assistants. 


42 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


HENRY  T.   OXNARD. 


IN  THE  days  of  '49,  California  drew  upon  the  sturdiest  and 
most  energetic  men  in  this  and  other  countries.  The 
conditions  which  prevailed  at  that  time  have  continued 
since  in  no  less  a  degree,  with  the  result  that  the  brain  and 
brawn  of  the  world  have  centered  in  this,  the  "  Golden  State." 
In  all  walks  of  life,  California  men  excel.  Its  wonderful 
wealth  cf  natural  resources  has  made  it  possible  for  enter- 
prises to  prosper  here  that  would  never  have  succeeded  in 
less-favored  climes.  Principal  among  the  growing  industries, 
and  one  that  has  already  assumed  gigantic  size,  employing 
thousands  of  men  and  supporting  a  prosperous  farming 
population  on  thousands  of  acres  of  land,  is  the  beet-sugar 
industry.  The  development  of  the  great  industry  in  the 
southern  portion  of  the  State 
is  due  to  Henry  T.  Oxnard, 
who  must  be  classed  with  the 
Spreckles  and  the  Havermeyers 
in  the  sugar  industry  of  the 
United  States. 

Henry  T.  Oxnard  is  first,  last 
and  all  the  time  a  typical 
American.  His  ancestors  on 
his  father's  side  have  been 
prominent  in  New  England 
since  the  early  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  For  many 
years  his  father  was  identified 
with  the  cane-su?ar  business  of 
Louisiana,  where  he  had  ex- 
tensive interests.  Being  op- 
posed to  slavery,  he  finally 
disposed  of  his  extensive  plan- 
tations and  refineries  in  1860, 
nearly  two  years  before  the  dis- 
astrous Civil  War,  which 
ruined  so  many  Southern 
planters.  With  his  family  he 
traveled  extensively  throughout 
the  continent.  It  was  while  the 
family  were  stopping  in  Mar- 
seilles, France,  that  Henry  T. 
made  his  debut  upon  the  stage 
of  life.  Shortly  after  the  birth 
of  his  son.  who  was  later  to 
become  so  important  a  factor 
in  the  industrial  world,  Mr. 
Oxnard  returned  to  his  old 
home  in  Boston,  and  here  the 
boy  grew  to  man's  estate. 

With  every  educational  advantage  at  his  command,  young 
Oxnard  proved  an  enthusiastic  and  diligent  scholar.  He 
successfully  passed  from  one  school  to  another,  until  he 
entered  Harvard  with  the  class  of  '82. 

During  the  four  years'  course,  Mr.  Oxnard  devoted  much 
of  his  time  to  the  study  of  chemistry,  thereby  well  fitting  him- 
self for  the  duties  which  have  since  been  imposed  upon  him 
in  his  connection  with  the  beet-sugar  industry.  After  leaving 
college  Mr.  Oxnard  spent  a  number  of  years  in  studying  the 
process  of  sugar-making  in  Germany  and  other  European 
countries.  Having  resolved  to  master  the  whole  art  of  sugar- 
making,  he  became  familiar  by  practical  experience  and  obser- 
vation with  every  detail  of  the  business.  After  having 
become  familiar  with  conditions  in  the  cane  fields  of  the 


South  and  the  beet  fields  of  Germany,  Mr.  Oxnard  felt  that 
the  time  had  come  when  he  could  successfully  demonstrate 
the  correctness  of  his  theories  that  sugar  beets  would  be  a 
profitable  crop  in  the  Middle  States.  Accordingly,  experi- 
ments with  imperfect  machinery  having  proved  that  the 
scheme  was  practicable,  he  commenced  the  construction  of  a 
factory  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.  This  plant  was  erected  in  1889 
and  was  one  of  the  first  beet-sugar  factories  erected  in  the 
United  States.  So  successful  was  the  experiment  that  the 
following  year  he  erected  another  factory  at  Norfolk,  in  the 
same  State.  The  first  year  it  paid  a  dividend,  and  the  suc- 
cess of  the  ventures  now  being  proved,  Mr.  Oxnard  looked 
about  for  new  fields  to  invest  in. 

Claus  Spreckles  had  been 
operating  a  factory  at  Watson- 
ville  for  two  years,  when  Mr. 
Oxnard's  attention  was  directed 
to  the  possibilities  afforded  by 
the  fertile  soil  and  equable  cli- 
mate of  California,  and  in  1891 
he  purchased  the  famous  Rich- 
ard Gird  Ranch  at  Chino,  and 
here  erected  the  first  beet-sugar 
factory  in  the  southern  portion 
of  the  State. 

Since  that  date  Mr.  Oxnard 
has  been  making  a  series  of  ex- 
tensive investments  in  Califor- 
nia that  have  all  tended  to  the 
prosperity  and  development  of 
this  section.  The  influence  of 
his  presence  in  the  sugar  mar- 
ket was  felt  very  shortly  after 
his  advent  in  the  field  as  a 
producer.  Prices  made  a  very 
considerable  drop  and  have 
since  been  maintained  at  a  fig- 
ure that  is  due  entirely  to  Mr. 
Oxnard's  presence  in  the  mar- 
ket. 

It  was  in  1897  that  the  im- 
mensely-rich lands  of  Ventura 
county  first  attracted  his  atten- 
tion, and  after  investigating 
conditions  thoroughly  and  be- 
coming convinced  that  here  was 
an  ideal  location  for  a  factory 
and  the  raising  of  sugar  beets 
he  commenced  the  erection  of 
the  most  complete  beet-sugar  factory  in  the  world.  It  cost 
nearly  two  million  dollars.  It  devours  two  thousand  tons  of  beets 
per  day.  That  means  nine  thousand  dollars  a  day  for  the  farm- 
ers. Before  Mr.  Oxnard  began  its  construction  he  had  con- 
tracted with  farmers  to  keep  18,000  acres  planted  in  beets  for  a 
series  of  years.  The  beet  fields  that  supply  it  with  raw  material 
stretch  for  miles  in  every  direction,  and  it  is  estimated  that 
there  are  nearly  100,000  acres  in  the  vicinity  adapted  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  sugar  beet.  Some  idea  of  the  extent  of  the 
industry  and  the  benefits  accruing  to  Southern  California  may 
be  determined  from  the  knowledge  that  it  costs  $160.000  a 
year  for  petroleum  to  keep  the  machinery  running,  while 
$300.000  is  spent  for  labor  alone,  and  another  tenth  of  a 
million  for  lime  rock,  which  comes  from  the  desert. 


HENRY   t.   OXNARLl. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


43 


As  president  of  the  American  Beet  Sugar  Company,  Mr. 
Oxnard's  time  is  much  in  demand.  The  company  has  estab- 
lished a  factory  in  the  famous  Arkansas  Valley  in  Colorado 
within  the  past  three  years,  and  all  are  being  operated  most 
successfully.  In  addition  to  being  one  of  the  most  successful 
organizers  and  financiers  in  California,  and  a  man  whose  in- 
fluence has  done  much  for  the  advancement  of  the  State, 
Mr.  Oxnard  owns  one  of  the  finest  ranches  in  Ventura  county. 
It  consists  of  5700  acres,  and  is  beautifully  situated  within  two 
miles  of  the  city  of  Oxnard,  named  after  its  distinguished 
founder.  The  ranch  borders  for  several  miles  along  the 
Pacific  as  far  south  as  the  Hueneme  Lighthouse  and  adjoins 
the  ranch  of  Senator  Bard  on  the  south,  while  to  the  north 
and  east  are  other  smaller  properties. 


merits.  Seventy-five  ranch  hands  find  constant  employment 
on  the  property,  while  during  the  season  many  hundreds  are 
necessary  to  care  properly  for  the  crops. 

Within  the  grounds  at  the  factory  Mr.  Oxnard  has  erected 
a  beautiful  home,  typical  of  California.  Spacious  and  care- 
fully-kept grounds  add  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  place,  a 
half-tone  of  which  appears  in  connection  with  this  article. 
Here  Mr.  Oxnard  has  made  his  home  for  the  past  six  years, 
and  here  he  entertains  his  friends  in  a  manner  typical  of  the 
open-hearted  generosity  of  the  West. 

With  interests  so  extensive,  he  has  to  make  frequent  trips 
to  Chicago,  New  York  and  San  Francisco,  where  he  has  an 
intimate  acquaintance  with  many  of  the  men  of  the  hour. 
In  club  life  Mr.  Oxnard  is  well  known  in  the  exclusive 


RESIDENCE    OF    HENRY    T.    OXNARD,    AT    OXNARD.    CALIFORNIA. 


The  Patterson  ranch — for  the  name  still  clings  to  it — is  one 
of  the  most  productive  in  that  section,  and  is  operated  in  as 
systematic  a  manner  as  would  characterize  the  conduct  of 
any  great  business  enterprise.  Two  thousand  acres  are 
annually  planted  to  sugar  beets,  one  thousand  acres  to  lima 
beans,  which  grow  most  luxuriantly  in  Ventura  county ;  over 
a  thousand  acres  are  put  into  grain,  and  the  balance  is  sum- 
mer fallowed.  In  the  conduct  of  the  ranch  Mr.  Oxnard  uses 
the  most  improved  and  scientific  methods.  His  chief  agri- 
culturists are  men  of  experience  in  both  the  United  States 
and  France  and  Germany,  and  no  improvements  calculated  to 
benefit  the  ranch  are  overlooked  without  a  trial  as  to  their 


Metropolitan  Club  of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  also  in  the  Univer- 
sity Club  and  the  Union  of  New  York  City,  where  he  main- 
tains offices  at  No.  32  Nassau  street,  in  the  heart  of  the 
financial  district.  Nearer  home,  he  holds  membership  in  both 
ihe  San  Francisco  and  the  Pacific  Union  clubs  of  the  northern 
metropolis,  while  his  name  appears  among  the  members  of  the 
well-known  California  Club  of  Los  Angeles.  When  social 
duties  press  on  his  work,  or  there  is  an  important  problem 
to  solve,  pleasure  is  sacrificed  for  months  at  a  time.  Hard 
work  has  been  the  keynote  of  Mr.  Oxnard's  success,  just  as 
it  has  that  of  almost  every  other  man  of  importance  in  the 
world  of  finance,  commerce  and  industry  today. 


44 


MEN  OF  ACHIE7EMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTH  IV  EST. 


JONATHAN  SAYRE  SLAUSON. 


IT  WAS  well  when  Destiny  ordained  that  an  empire  be 
builded  in  the  western  wilderness  that  there  were  men 
of  J.  S.  Slauson's  stamp  to  lay  the  foundation.  Born  >.n 
Orange  county,  New  York,  seventy-four  years  ago,  he  was 
raised  in  the  farming  regions  of  one  of  the  most  productive 
valleys  of  the  Empire  State.  He  received  a  limited  education 
in  the  district  schools 
of  his  native  county, 
later  commencing  a 
course  at  a  local  acad- 
emy until  he  had  at- 
tained his  sixteenth  year, 
at  which  time  his  edu- 
cation was  supposed  to 
be  "  finished."  Young 
Slauson  had  higher  as- 
pirations, however,  than 
those  afforded  by  life 
on  the  old  homestead, 
and  after  working  upon 
the  farm  until  he  had 
left  his  teens  he  com- 
menced the  study  of  law 
in  the  office  of  a  local 
lawyer,  later  supplement- 
ing this  with  a  course 
at  the  New  York  State 
Law  School.  Graduat- 
ing in  the  fall  of  1854, 
the  following  year  saw 
him  established  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession 
in  New  York  City.  He 
was  accorded  flattering 
recognition,  and  during 
the  nine  years  of  his  res- 
idence in  the  metropolis 
of  the  United  States  he 
established  a  lucrative 
and  successful  clientage 
which  from  failing  health 
he  was  compelled  to 
abandon. 

The  year  1864  marked 
a  great  influx  of  migra- 
tion to  the  mines  of  Ne- 
vada. Among  the  throng 
was  the  young  lawyer 
from  New  York.  Aus-  . 
tin,  in  the  central  part 
of  Nevada,  was  then 
one  of  the  most  stirring 
and  active  of  the  many 
centers  of  the  State,  and 
to  this  place  he  directed 
his  way.  Immediately 

upon  his  arrival  he  engaged  in  mining,  and  continued 
to  devote  his  entire  time  to  this  pursuit,  until  the  last  year 
of  his  residence  in  the  State,  during  which  he  resumed  his 
practice  of  the  law  in  partnership  with  Hon.  C.  E.  DeLong, 
who  in  the  latter  part  of  1868  was  appointed  United  States 
Minister  to  Japan  by  President  Grant.  During  his  residence 


JONATHAN    SAYRE    SLAUSON. 


in  Austin  he  was  thrice  honored  by  the  Mayoralty  of  the 
town,  and  left  a  record  that  was  gratifying  to  his  constit- 
uency. Having  acquired  a  comfortable  fortune,  he  removed 
with  his  family  to  San  Francisco  in  1868,  from  which  point 
for  the  ensuing  four  years  he  directed  his  interests. 

In  1874  Mr.  Slauson  moved  to  this  city,  where  he  has  since 

resided.  He  founded  the 
old  Los  Angeles  County 
Bank  shortly  after  his 
advent  into  the  commun- 
ity, and  devoted  ten 
years  to  building  up  the 
institution,  with  the  re- 
sult that  when  he  sold 
out  in  1885  to  John  E. 
Plater,  it  was  recognized 
as  one  of  the  strongest 
banking  houses  in  the 
State.  He  may  be  called 
the  father  of  citrus  fruit 
culture  in  the  foothill 
region,  and  through  that 
agency  a  prime  factor  in 
the  development  of  the 
wealth  of  resources  of 
which  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  State  boasts. 
Before  having  disposed 
of  his  bank,  in  1885,  he 
had  acquired  the  Azusa 
ranch,  comprising  some 
5800  acres  of  choice  foot- 
hill land  lying  about 
twenty-three  miles  east 
of  this  city.  At  about 
the  same  time  he  pur- 
chased the  San  Jose  Ad- 
dition ranch,  adjoining 
the  other  property,  mak- 
ing a  total  of  13,600  acres 
of  land,  the  market  value 
of  which  was  little  ap- 
preciated at  that  time. 

In  1886,  having  dis- 
posed of  a  one-half  inter- 
est in  the  Azusa  ranch  to 
J.  D.  Bicknell,  I.  W. 
Hellman  and  others,  re- 
taining about  800  acres 
for  his  own  private  use, 
he  incorporated  the  bal- 
ance under  the  name  of 
the  Azusa  Land  and  Wa- 
ter Company.  With  char- 
acteristic energy,  Mr. 
Slauson  threw  him- 
self into  the  task  of  subdividing  and  settling  up  the  famous 
old  ranch.  The  town  of  Azusa  was  laid  out,  and  the  follow- 
ing year  the  completion  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  gave  an 
additional  impetus  to  the  work  which  was  being  prosecuted 
under  his  direction.  The  San  Jose  Addition  ranch  was  dis- 
posed of  the  same  year.  Mr.  Slauson  having  relieved  himself 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


45 


of  the  greater  part  of  the  work  connected  with  the  disposal 
of  the  larger  properties,  set  about  to  improve  the  800  acres 
which  he  had  retained.  Orange  and  lemon  trees  of  the 
choicest  budded  varieties  were  set  out  from  time  to  time. 
Some  idea  of  the  amount  produced  from  this  magnificent 
estate  may  be  gained  from  the  knowledge  that  freight  pay- 
ments on  the  citrus  crop  for  the  past  season  exceeded  the  sum 
of  $80,000.  To  expedite  matters  in  the  management  of  this 
princely  estate,  a  consolidation  of  his  interest  with  that  of  his 
children  was  effected,  and  the  company  incorporated  under 
the  name  of  the  Azusa  Foothill  Citrus  Company.  This  is 
without  exception  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  citrus  estates 
in  California,  a  State  which  has  a  world-wide  reputation  for 
the  extent  of  the  industry  and  the  quality  of  the  fruit. 

Mr.    Slauson's   interests   are   by   no   means   confined   to   the 


the  matron,  Mrs.  Watson  and  Mr.  Slauson.  He  helped  to  estab- 
lish the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  has  been  a  liberal  contributor  to  that 
worthy  institution.  The  Orphan  Asylum  owes  its  origin  to 
Mr.  Slauson,  who,  together  with  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  MacNeil, 
gave  $1000  apiece  and  were  instrumental  in  obtaining  the  first 
$19,000  toward  that  end.  The  Salvation  Army  Rescue  Home 
was  purchased  and  turned  over  to  them  free  of  debt,  all 
but  $1000  having  been  given  by  Mr.  Slauson,  who  was  gener- 
ously aided  by  Gen.  Harrison  Gray  Otis.  To  commemorate 
the  memory  of  those  brave  soldiers  who  died  for  their  country 
in  the  Spanish-American  War,  he  raised  a  fund  for  the  erec- 
tion of  the  monument  that  honors  their  memories  in  the 
Sixth-street  Park.  Besides  those  with  which  his  name  has 
been  mentioned,  he  has  furnished  the  funds  for  scores  of 
worthy  enterprises. 


RESIDENCE    OF    JONATHAN    SAYRE    SLAUSON. 


ranch  just  described;  he  is  the  owner  of  valuable  city  property 
and  320  acres  almost  adjoining  the  city.  Together  with  his 
children  he  owns  a  2;o-acre  orange  grove  at  Ontario,  situated 
in  the  same  foothill  belt  with  his  Azusa  property. 

During  his  residence  in  this  portion  of  the  State  Mr.  Slauson 
has  seen  a  wonderful  growth  in  religious  organizations  as  well 
as  in  other  lines  of  advancement.  When  he  came  to  this  city 
there  were  but  five  weak  Protestant  churches  between  San 
Jose  and  the  Mexican  line.  Up  to  the  year  1887  there  were  but 
five  churches  in  this  county  that  he  had  not  assisted  in  starting, 
and  during  the  previous  twelve  years  he  had  contributed 
$45,000  of  his  own  private  fortune  to  assist  churches  and 
kindred  institutions  to  become  established  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia. A  few  of  the  institutions  that  owe  their  origin  and 
success  to  him  are  the  Boys'  Home  at  Garvanza,  established  by 


As  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  he  has  taken  an 
active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  that  organization  since  it  was 
organized,  and  during  the  ceremonies  incidental  to  the  laying 
of  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  building  last  March,  he  made 
the  speech  in  honor  of  the  event.  In  his  seventy-fourth  year 
he  is  as  benign  and  beneficent  as  thirty  years  ago,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  popular  and  effective  toastmasters  and  responders 
at  banquets  in  the  city.  As  president  of  the  Sunset  Club,  a 
social  organization,  he  has  done  much  to  advance  its  interests 
and  popularity  among  the  exclusive  set  who  are  its  members. 
During  the  Midwinter  Fair  in  1893  he  acted  as  one  of  the  five 
State  Commissioners,  and  despite  the  prevailing  financial 
depression  of  the  time,  the  fair  was  a  financial  success. 
Los  Angeles  has  no  citizen  whose  public  spirit  has  done  more 
than  he. 


46 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


DANIEL   FREEMAN. 


SINCE  the  days  of  '49,  tales  of  which  are  familiar  to  every 
school  boy  in  the  United  States,  California  has  been 
looked  upon  as  an  enchanted  land.  The  very  word  "  Cal- 
ifornia "  is  enticingly  attractive,  and  literature  descriptive  of 
California  and  her  charms  is  as  much  in  demand  today  as  it  was 
half  a  century  ago.  Among  the  most  attractive  features  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  especially  the  southern  portion  of  the  State,  are  the 
immense  ranchos  which  compare  favorably  with  princes' 
domains,  when  their  productiveness  is  considered.  There 
is  a  natural  romance  attached  to  them  that  time  but  serves 
to  increase.  It  may  truthfully  be  stated,  also,  that  much  of 
the  interest  is  manifested 
in  the  owners,  many  of 
whom  are  thrifty  Yan- 
kees transplanted  from 
cold,  bleak  States  to  the 
semi-tropical  fairness  of 
this  portion  of  the  "Gold- 
en State."  The  pur- 
pose of  this  book  is 
to  acquaint  the  readers 
with  life  as  it  was  and 
is  in  this  sunny  land, 
and  incidentally  give 
credit  where  credit  is 
due  to  the  men  of  fore- 
sight and  energy  who 
have  been  instrumental 
in  developing  this  por- 
tion of  the  State.  Among 
the  princely  domains 
that  are  tributary  to  Los 
Angeles,  few  have  a 
more  romantic  history 
than  the  famous  old 
Sausal  Reclondo  and 
C  e  n  t  i  n  e  1  a  ranchos, 
owned  for  the  past  thirty 
years  by  Daniel  Free- 
man, than  whom  there 
are  few  more  enterpris- 
ing and  progressive 
land  owners  in  the 
State. 

A  brief  resume  of  the 
history  of  the  famous 
old  property  from  the 
time  it  was  owned  by 
Senor  Avila  in  the  early 
*5o's  to  the  present  time, 
will  prove  most  interest- 
ing. Fifty  years  ago,  when  2S,ooo-acre  grants  from  the  Mex- 
ican government  were  not  uncommon  occurrences,  Southern 
California  was  pretty  well  divided  up  among  a  few  of  the 
aristocratic  old  Senores,  who  led  a  life  of  indolent  ease  and 
depended  for  an  income  upon  their  flocks  and  herds.  Along  in 
1860  an  adventurous  young  Scotchman,  Sir  Robert  Burnett, 
acquired  the  famous  old  Sausal  Redondo  22,ooo-acre  and  the 
44OO-acre  Centinela  ranchos  from  Senor  Avila,  and  proceeded 
to  follow  the  usual  customs  of  the  country,  and  raise  sheep. 
Sheep  were  sheep  in  those  days,  when,  during  the  war,  the 


DANIEL  FREEMAN 


unwashed  wool  brought  $i  a  pound,  and  was  sent  to  Boston 
by  way  of  the  "  Horn."  Sir  Robert  had  been  conducting  the 
rancho  for  over  ten  years  when  Daniel  Freeman,  a  barrister 
from  the  Province  of  Ontario,  came  down  to  the  southern 
portion  of  the  State,  searching  for  a  suitable  property — and 
thereby  hangs  a  tale. 

Daniel  Freeman,  owner  of  the  famous  Centinela  and 
Sausal  Redondo  ranchos,  owes,  his  nativity  to  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, where  he  was  born  in  June,  1837.  His  grand  parents 
were  natives  of  New  Jersey,  where  the  family  had  been 
prominent  since  1660.  His  grandfather,  Samuel  Freeman, 

was  a  Methodist  minis- 
ter, and  had  been  sent  to 
Canada  as  a  missionary. 
Canada  was  in  those 
days  on  the  frontier, 
and  the  pioneers  who 
hewed  their  way  through 
the  forests  of  the  lake 
region  were  m  en  of 
strong  sinews  and  sturdy 
attributes  of  character. 
To  Rev.  Daniel  Freeman 
belongs  the  distinction 
of  having  preached  the 
first  Protestant  sermon 
in  the  city  of  Detroit, 
while  in  many  other  re- 
spects he  was  the  ad- 
vance guard  of  the  civ- 
ilization which  has  de- 
veloped one  of  the  rich- 
est portions  of  the  coun- 
try. Daniel  Freeman's 
father  was  born  on  a 
farm  in  Ontario,  and 
followed  that  vocation 
through  life.  His  son, 
Daniel,  being  of  a  stu- 
dious and  ambitious  turn 
of  mind,  early  deter- 
mined to  attain  an  edu- 
cation, and  succeeded 
against  odds  that  would 
have  quenched  the  ardor 
of  a  less-deter  mined 
youth  than  he.  After 
having  taught  school  for 
a  number  of  years,  and 
having  thereby  accumu- 
lated sufficient  to  permit 
him  to  take  a  course  at  law,  he  graduated  from  a  private 
academy  and  later  from  Osgood  Hall,  the  law  school  of 
Toronto.  Having  been  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1865,  he  imme- 
diately returned  to  his  native  town,  Simcoe,  Ontario,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

He  was  accorded  immediate  and  gratifying  success,  extend- 
ing over  a  period  of  a  number  of  years,  when,  owing  to  the 
failing  health  of  his  wife,  he  found  it  necessary  to  seek  a  less 
rigorous  climate.  California  then,  as  now,  had  a  reputation 
world-wide  for  its  climatic  conditions,  and  accordingly  the 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


47 


year  1873  found  him  a  resident  of  this  State.  Having  decided 
to  purchase  a  landed  property,  Mr.  Freeman  went  about  it 
in  the  same  careful,  deliberate  manner  in  which  he  would 
have  investigated  a  point  at  law.  He  spent  nine  months  in 
traveling  over  the  entire  State,  visiting  San  Luis  Obispo, 
Santa  Barbara,  Los  Angeles  and  San  Diego  counties,  and  look- 
ing at  over  one  hundred  ranches  that  were  offered  for  sale. 
It  is  a  compliment  to  this  section  that  after  so  thorough  an 
investigation  of  the  merits  of  those  offered  he  decided  upon 
the  property  owned  by  Sir  Robert  Burnett. 

The  magnificent  property  at  that  time  embraced  over  26,000 
acres  and  extended  along  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  for  a  dis- 
tance of  seven  miles,  while  the  extreme  eastern  limits  of  the 
ranch  ran  back  as  far  as  the  present  site  of  Hyde  Park. 

Sir  Robert  had  immense  flocks  of  sheep  pasturing  upon  the 
rich  grasses  of  the  ranch,  and  of  these  Mr.  Freeman  pur- 
chased 10,000  head.  For  the  ensuing  three  years  he  devoted 


22.000  of  the  26,000  acres  in  the  ranches  into  wheat  and  barley. 
That  year  over  280,000  sacks  were  raised  on  the  ranches ;  much 
of  the  barley  was  shipped  to  Arizona,  where  he  had  a  con- 
tract with  the  government  to  supply  all  the  grain  and  hay 
used  by  the  troops  engaged  there  in  fighting-  the  Indians  and 
protecting  settlers,  the  larger  part  of  the  wheat  going  direct  to 
Liverpool,  being  shipped  from  the  near-by  port  of  San 
Pedro.  So  much  for  the  shipping  facilities  enjoyed  by  the 
grain  ranchers  along  the  coast,  as  compared  to  the  high 
freight  charges  demanded  from  inland  ranchers. 

The  year  1885  marked  the  first  influx  of  eastern  settlers 
in  Southern  California  in  any  considerable  numbers,  and  in 
that  year  Mr.  Freeman  disposed  of  the  south  half  of  his 
property  to  different  parties,  who  divided  it  up  into  small 
plots.  The  present  site  of  Jnglewood  was  a  portion  of 
this  famous  old  rancho,  and  this,  too,  was  sold  in  1889.  The 
Redondo  branch  of  the  Santa  Fe  road  and  the  electric  lines 


DANIEL  FREEMAN'S   HOME  ON  THE  CENTINELA  RANCHO. 


his  entire  time  to  the  sheep,  with  the  result  that  when  the 
disastrous  dry  year  of  '76  came  the  flocks  had  increased  to 
26,000  head.  Of  this  number,  10,000  head  were  lost  in  the  one 
season ;  the  balance  Mr.  Freeman  disposed  of  to  "  Lucky " 
Baldwin,  owner  of  the  Santa  Anita  Rancho.  But  in  dispos- 
ing of  the  sheep  Mr.  Freeman  was  but  putting  the  fertile 
acres  to  a  better  use,  in  the  growing  of  grain,  which  up  to 
that  time  was  a  neglected  industry.  An  experiment  he  made 
on  640  acres  of  the  land  during  the  fall  of  '75  and  spring  of 
'76  resulted  in  a  crop  of  grain  which  averaged  twelve  sacks 
to  the  acre,  despite  the  fact  that  the  season's  rainfall  amounted 
to  but  4%  inches.  Since  that  date  Mr.  Freeman  has  never 
lost  a  crop. 

Eastern  farmers  with  quarter-sections  can  scarcely  com- 
prehend the  extent  of  California's  vast  ranches.  So  success- 
ful were  Mr.  Freeman's  grain  crops  that  in  '82  he  had  over 


of  the  Redondo  road  cross  the  ranch  and  afford  unexcelled 
facilities  for  marketing  the  immense  crops  of  hay  and  grain 
which  Mr.  Freeman  now  raises  on  his  io,ooo-acre  property. 
Much  of  the  land  he  has  leased  out  to  responsible  parties,  and 
the  places  that  once  resounded  with  the  laughter  of  the  gay 
vaquero  on  the  semi-annual  round-up  are  now  scenes  of 
bustling  activity  and  twentieth-century  progress. 

Mr.  Freeman  has  always  evidenced  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  was  for  two  successive  terms  president  of 
the  Los  Angeles  Chamber  of  Commerce,  an  organization 
whose  influence  has  done  more  for  the  upbuilding  of  Southern 
California  than  many  agencies  generally  credited  with  a 
greater  influence.  For  the  past  seventeen  years  he  has  been 
a  director  of  the  Southern  California  Railway,  a  branch  of  the 
Santa  Fe  system,  and  few  citizens  have  taken  a  more  promi- 
nent part  in  the  upbuilding  of  Southern  California  than  he. 


48 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


RUSSELL  JUDSON   WATERS. 


A  NATIVE  of  the  "  Green  Mountain  "  State,  Russell  Jud- 
son  Waters  made  his  entrance  upon  life's  stage  on  the 
6th  day  of  June,  1843.  While  a  child  of  four  years  of 
age  the  lad  lost  his  father,  and  the  mother  with  thirteen  chil- 
dren to  support  moved  to  the  sister  State  of  Massachusetts. 
Here  at  Colerain,  Franklin  county,  young  Waters  spent  his 
early  boyhood,  and  upon  attaining  the  age  of  eight  was  obliged 
to  enter  a  cotton  factory  to  assist  in  the  support  of  the  father- 
less family.  The  little  fellow  worked  for  two  years  in  the 
mill,  receiving  compensation  at  the  rate  of  $1.25  a  week. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time  h[s  health  had  been  so  seri- 
ously impaired  by  the  close  confinement  that  he  was  sent  to  a 
farm  near  Deerfield,  Massa- 
chusetts, where  he  remained 
until  twelve  years  of  age, 
attending  the  village. school 
when  the  opportunity  af- 
forded, but  learning  more 
of  the  lessons  of  life  than 
of  books.  At  twelve  he  en- 
tered the  cutlery  mills  and 
secured  a  job  as  operator 
on  one  of  the  machines. 
Another  two  years  found 
him  with  depleted  health, 
and  the  slender  lad  joined 
his  family  at  Richville, 
New  York,  where  they  had 
moved  during  his  employ- 
ment in  the  mill.  Here  he 
secured  work  on  a  farm  at 
fifty  cents  a  day,  and  dur- 
ing the  winter  months  cut 
cord  wood  at  fifty  cents  a 
cord.  But  the  ambition  and 
spirit  in  the  boy  were  not 
to  be  crushed  by  circum- 
stances that  would  have 
caused  many  a  stouter 
heart  to  quail.  He  had  it 
in  him  and  nothing  could 
keep  it  down.  Returning 
to  Massachusetts  he  learned 
the  machinists'  trade,  and 
found  time  to  pursue  his 
neglected  studies.  H  i  s 
musical  tastes  also  became 
pronounced,  and  he  mas- 
tered the  violin,  piano  and 
cornet,  securing  a  posi- 
tion as  solo  baritone 

in  a  local  band.  Later  he  taught  a  term  or  two  of  school  at 
Charlemont  Center,  and  finally  achieved  the  ambition  of  his 
early  years  and  graduated  from  Franklin  Institute.  Securing 
a  position  as  professor  of  Latin  and  mathematics  in  his  alma 
mater,  young  Waters  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  had  mastered 
and  overcome  the  difficulties  which  had  beset  his  path  as  a 
boy,  and  secured  the  much  desired  education  which  was  to 
fit  him  for  his  career  in  life  and  in  the  halls  of  Congress 
in  the  nation's  Capitol. 

Removing  to  Chicago  in  the  spring  of  1868,  he  determined 
upon  the  study  of  law,  and  acting  upon  this  impulse  with  an 
energy  characteristic  of  the  youth  and  man,  he  entered  a  law 


RUSSEI.L   JUDSON    WATERS. 


office,  where  for  the  following  two  years  he  devoted  himself 
to  reading  law.  Success  attended  his  efforts,  and  May  12, 
1868,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six,  this  persevering  young  man 
with  the  indomitable  will  found  himself  admitted  to  the  bar 
and  privileged  to  practice  in  all  the  courts  of  the  great  com-, 
monwealth  of  Illinois,  and  Federal  courts  all  over  the 
land.  Eighteen  years  of  untiring  efforts  in  their  behalf 
found  his  health  giving  way  under  the  strain  of  a 
too  confining  law  practice,  and  he  was  compelled  to  relin- 
quish his  clientage  and  seek  a  less  rigorous  climate. 
He  determined  upon  California,  and  1886  found  him  a  chair- 
man and  commissioner  of  the  California-Chicago  Colonization 

Association,  which  is,  as  its 
name  implies,  a  colonization 
enterprise  on  a  scale  seldom 
before  attempted  in  this 
country.  With  rare  business 
foresight  a  tract  of  land 
was  purchased  in  what  is 
now  the  city  of  Redlands, 
and  water  rights  secured 
and  the  enterprise  launched. 
The  success  of  the  under- 
taking is  to  be  seen  in  one 
of  the  most  highly  produc- 
tive and  beautiful  spots  in 
the  world  —  a  city  of  world- 
wide fame  —  and  one  that 
claims  Mr.  Waters  as  its 
father  -•-  Redlands.  He  was 
one  of  the  original  incor- 
porators  of  the  city,  and  for 
a  year  acted  as  its  attorney. 
He  was  instrumental  in  in- 
ducing the  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
road to  extend  its  tracks 
from  San  Bernardino  to 
Redlands,  comprising  what 
is  now  known  as  the  "  Kite- 
Shaped  Track."  At  various 
times  he  was  a  director 
of  the  Union  Bank,  the 
First  National  Bank,  the 
Crafton  Water  Company, 
the  East  Redlands  Water 
Company,  the  Redlands 
Hotel  Company,  and  many 
other  notable  business  en- 
terprises, the  success  of 
which  meant  much  to  the 
city  of  Redlands.  As  secre- 
tary of  the  Redlands  Hotel  Company,  he  built  Red- 
lands'  famous  old  hostelry,  the  Hotel  Windsor.  He 
was  president  of  the  local  street  railway  and  secured  its 
franchises,  etc.  During  the  time  he  served  as  general  man- 
ager of  the  Bear  Valley  Irrigation  Company  he  performed 
an  invaluable  service  for  that  greatly-troubled  company, 
reducing  its  indebtedness  a  half  million,  leaving  $110,000 
in  its  treasury,  giving  it  a  practically  unlimited  credit,  and 
raising  its  stock  to  $ifio,  where  previously  it  had  ranged 
far  below  par.  During  the  eight  years  that  he  was  identified 
with  the'  city  it  was  considered  impossible  to  promote  any 
enterprise  for  the  public  good  without  first  enlisting  Mr. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


49 


Waters'  assistance.  As  "  the  father "  of  Redlands  he  per- 
formed the  duties  of  parent  most  conscientiously,  and  left  a 
thriving,  prosperous  offspring  where  formerly  there  had  been 
naught  but  sheep  ranches. 

Since  1894  Mr.  Waters  has  made  his  home  in  this  city. 
He  has  a  beautiful  home  on  Adams  street  in  one  of  the 
finest  residence  sections  of  .the  city,  which  is  famed  for  her 
beautiful  homes.  He  at  once  assumed  a  prominent  part  in 
the  city's  best  interests,  and  invested  his  private  fortun'e 
generously  and  judiciously.  As  president  of  the  Citizens' 
National  Bank,  he  has  made  of  that  institution  one  of  the 
most  respected  and  substantial  banking  houses  in  the  State. 
His  influence  is  felt  upon  the  directorate  of  the  Columbia 
Savings  Bank,  while  he  is  interested  in  a  number  of  other 
financial  institutions  in  this  portion  of  the  State.  He  is  also 
president  of  the  State  Bank  of  San  Jacinto,  a  live  little  bank 
with  deposits  approximating  $175,000.  He  is  president  and 
principal  owner  in  the  San  Jacinto  Valley  Water  Company. 
This  company  is  now  constructing  sixteen  miles  of  cement 
ditches  to  distribute  the  water  to  the  fruit  growers  and  dairy 
men  of  that  beautiful  valley,  and  the  future  prosperity  of 
San  Jacinto  depends  largely  upon  this  water  system.  He  is 
president  of  the  Colum- 
bia Commercial  Com- 
pany, whose  operations 
and  property  are  in  Or- 
ange county,  and  on  a 
paying  basis.  He  is 
president  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Cattle  Company, 
whose  holdings  are 
principally  in  Riverside 
county.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Bay  Island 
Club,  a  social  organiza- 
tion, uniquely  located 
on  an  island  in  New- 
port Bay.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Shepherd 
Auto-Engine  Company, 
one  of  our  latest  manu- 
facturing enterprises. 
This  Company  is  turn- 
ing out  a  high  grade 
of  automobiles.  H  e 
has  been  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  since  his 

adoption  of  this  city  as  his  home,  and  served  as  treasurer  of 
that  body  for  two  years.  In  1897  the  Council  selected  Mr. 
Waters  as  one  of  the  Park  Commissioners,  and  owing  to  his 
intimate  knowledge  of  horticulture  and  the  flora  of  California, 
it  was  a  most  wise  selection.  After  serving  for  a  year,  press- 
ing business  compelled  him  to  tender  his  resignation. 

Mr.  Waters'  financial  cares  and  business  responsibilities, 
however,  never  blinded  him  to  the  duties  imposed  by  good 
citizenship,  and  when  in  1898  his  friends  sought  the  use  of 
his  name  as  a  candidate  for  Congress  from  the  Sixth  District, 
he  finally  consented  to  permit  its  use.  At  the  Congressional 
convention  in  Sacramento  he  was  nominated  by  acclamation 
with  no  dissenting  votes.  The  nomination  speech  was  made 
by  his  old-time  friend,  Ex-Gov.  John  L.  Beveridge,  of 
Illinois,  and  was  the  subject  of  much  favorable  comment  at 
the  time. 

After  a  vigorous  campaign  during  which  the  Democrats 
and  the  Populists  "  fused,"  Mr.  Waters  carried  his  district 
by  a  plurality  of  3542  votes,  taking  it  'out  of  the  Fusion  ranks. 
Upon  assuming  his  place  in  the  halls  of  Congress  he  made 


RESIDENCE    OK    RUSSELL    JUDSON    WATERS. 


his  presence  felt  and  respected,  not  as  a  politician,  but  as  a 
successful  banker,  lawyer  and  financier,  who  served  the  dis- 
trict he  represented.  Among  the  many  bills  he  introduced 
and  had  passed  by  both  houses,  all  were  of  particular  and 
vital  interest  to  his  constituency.  He  took  an  active  part 
in  the  introduction  of  certain  measures  approved  by  the 
Southern  California  Forestry  Commission,  thereby  making 
it  a  crimirfcl  offense  to  leave  camp  fires  burning  and  endan- 
gering the  forests.  He  introduced  a  bill  appropriating  over 
half  a  million  for  improvements  in  San  Pedro  Harbor,  and 
was  especially  active  in  defending  the  Nicaragua  Canal  Bill. 
One  of  the  most  important  measures  which  he  passed 
sustained  the  order  of  Commissioner  General  of  the 
Land  Office,  Hon.  Binger  Hermann,  suspending  the  filing 
of  lien  scrip  upon  land  until  after  a  full  and  complete 
investigation  by  special  agents  of  the  department.  This  was 
especially  valuable  to  oil  men  of  Southern  California. 
Another  bill  introduced  and  passed  authorized  the  entry  and 
patenting  of  lands  containing  petroleum  and  other  mineral 
oils  under  the  placer  mining  laws  of  the  United  States. 

In  establishing  additional  free  delivery  rural  mail  routes 
in  his  district,  Mr.  Waters  was  especially  active.  These  are 

a  great  benefit  to  the 
residents  of  this  dis- 
trict who  have  hitherto 
been  removed  from 
postal  facilities,  and 
much  appreciated  by 
his  constituency.  Eleven 
new  postoffices  were  es- 
tablished in  his  district 
during  his  term  of  of- 
fice, and  in  behalf  of 
war  veterans  and  their 
widows  Mr.  Waters 
was  successfully  active. 
Mr.  Waters  is  a  man 
of  strong  character, 
and,  as  such,  has  won 
distinction  as  a  jurist; 
he  is  a  man  of  com- 
prehensive 'udmnent, 
and,  as  such,  has  con- 
ducted vast  business 
enterprises  with  ability 
and  success ;  he  is  a 
man  of  exalted  ideas, 
and  loyal  and  unflinch- 
ing in  all  his  relations  to  those  associated  with  him. 
It  is  not  given  to  any  large  number  of  men  to  leave  be- 
hind them  such  a  monument  as  the  beautiful  city  of  Redlandx 
There  was  little  there  when  Mr.  Waters  first  visited  the 
place  to  indicate  what  it  might  be  made.  Many  eyes  had 
rested  on  the  hillside  without  gaining  a  vision  of  what 
would  be.  Waters  saw  the  city  in  the  unimproved  site  and 
resolutely  set  about  evolving  the  city  of  the  orange  groves 
in  all  its  wealth  of  beauty. 

Redlands  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
progressive  cities  in  all  Southern  California.  The  products 
of  its  orange  groves  have  no  superiors.  The  growth  of  the 
city  and  the  high  excellence  of  the  fruits  are  a  lasting 
testimony  to  the  sagacity  of  the  men  who  selected  this  as  the 
scene  of  their  achievements. 

No  one  who  has  read  the  story  of  bravery  in  adversity, 
of  struggle  and  determination,  of  perseverance  in  the  face 
of  despair,  and  of  the  surmounting  of  obstacles  in  the  life 
of  Russell  Judson  Waters,  can  but  rejoice  in  the  reward 
which  has  come  to  him. 


50 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


JOTHAM   BIXBY. 


FIFTY  years  ago  the  Argonauts  had  but  just  commenced 
the  founding  of  a  civilization  in  California,  anjj  the  vast 
territory  between  the  California  line  and  the  Missouri 
River  was  yet  given  over  to  the  plain's  tribes  of  Indians.  In 
the  conquest  of  the  Western  wilderness  the  sons  of  New 
England  bore  their  part.  One  of  these  was  Jotham  Bixby. 
The  stock  from  which  he  came  was  sturdy  and  patriotic, 
the  first  representative  having  come  from  England  and  set- 
tled in  Massachusetts  in 
early  Colonial  days. 
Later  generations  re- 
moved to  Maine,  where 
the  family  was  promi- 
nent for  years. 

Jotham  Bixby,  who 
enjoys  the  distinction 
of  being  one  of  the 
heaviest  indiv  i  d  u  a  1 
land  owners  of  the 
Southwest,  where  25,- 
ooo-acre  ranches  are 
not  uncommon,  was 
born  in  Norridgewock, 
Maine,  in  1831.  His 
early  years  ran  in  the 
usual  channels  of  farm 
life,  combining  a  good 
deal  of  work,  a  little 
pleasure  and  attendance 
at  the  district  schools 
when  opportunity  af- 
forded. Tales  of  the 
wonderful  wealth  of 
the  California  gold 
mines  were  in  the  early 
'So's  heard  upon  every 
hand,  and  it  was  not 
strange  that  young 
Bixby  upon  attaining 
his  majority  should 
turn  his  eyes  in  the 
same  direction  and  see 
alluring  promise  in  the 
golden  sunset.  At  the 
age  of  21  he  set  sail  for 
California,  by  way  of 
Cape  Horn,  arriving 
after  an  uneventful  pas- 
sage in  San  Francisco 
Bay,  while  the  metrop- 
olis of  the  Pacific  Coast 
was  yet  in  swaddling 
clothes.  Workinor  for 
a  salary  was  never 
part  of  a  man  of 


JOTHAM     BIXBY. 


young  Bixby's  stamp.  He  had  resolved  at  the  earliest  pos- 
sible moment  to  commence  independent  operations.  He  found 
gratification  for  this  ambition  upon  arriving  at  the  placer  mines 
in  the  central  part  of  the  State.  As  a  miner  he  did  not  meet 
with  the  success  he  desired,  and  after  following  that  pursuit 
for  a  few  years  and  acquiring  a  "stake,"  he  went  to  Monterey 
county,  where  he  became  interested  in  sheep  raising.  Later 


he  worked  south  into  San  Luis  Obispo  county,  where  in  1866 
his  flocks  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  it  became 
imperative  for  him  to  seek  new  ranges,  and  accordingly  the 
same  year  he  made  his  first  appearance  in  Los  Angeles. 

Mr.    Bixby's   initial   purchase    in    this   portion   of  the    State 
was    the    famous    old    Los    Cerritos    rancho,    which    he    pur- 
chased with  associates  in  1866,  forming  the  firm  of  J.  Bixby 
&  Co.,  Mr.  Bixby  securing  a  one-half  interest  in  the  magnifi- 
cent property.     From  a 
historical    stand  point 
this  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of    the    old 
Soanish     grants     in 
Southern        California. 
The    present    towns    of 
Long      Beach,      Clear- 
water    and    Hynes    are 
located   on   portions   of 
the    old     ranch,     which 
faced  the  ocean  on  the 
south  and  the  San  Ga- 
briel River  on  the  west 
to  the  lands  now  owned 
by       Senator      W.     A. 
Clark  at  Llewellyn.     In 
all  the  ranch  embraced 
some     27,000     acres    of 
hisrhly  productive  land. 
Mr.  Bixby  has  disposed 
of  a  large  part  of  the 
original    holdings,    but 
still   retains   some   5000 
acres  of  the  old  ranch, 
on. which  he  maintains 
three  dairies  and  raises 
alfalfa,  grain  and  beets. 
When  he  purchased  the 
property  he  used  it  ex- 
clusively      for       sheep 
raising,   and    at    times 
had  over  25.000  head  on 
the    ranch,      producing 
175,000  pounds  of  wool 
annually.    Later  on  the 
growth      of      Southern 
California   made   sheep 
raising   on    so   produc- 
tive a  tract  of  land  not 
as    profitable   as    farm- 
ing, and  the  sheep  were 
gradually    disposed    of 
and  the  ranch  tilled  for 
grain     and     for     some 
other     farm     products. 
Of  the   original   27,000  acres   the  company   sold  off   in  the 
early    '7o's    a    few   farms    toward   Downey.     Again    six   years 
later    it    sold    to   the    Wilmington     Colony     tract     1400   acres 
for    colonization    purposes,    and    in    1884   another   4000   acres 
embracing   the    present    site    of    Long    Beach.     At   the    same 
time    the    California     Co-Operative     Colonization     Company 
purchased  6000  acres,  subdividing  it  for  colonization  purposes 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREA'I  SOUTHWEST, 


51 


and  including  in  the  tract  the  present  farming  settlements  of 
Clearwater  and  Hynes.  The  last  big  sale  was  made  to 
Senator  Clark,  who  purchased  8000  acres  located  near  his 
sugar  factory  at  Los  Alamitos. 

In  '875  J.  Bixby  &  Co.  purchased  the  larger  part  of  the 
Los  Palos  Verdes  ranch  of  17,000  acres  in  the  hills  between 
Redondo  and  San  Pedro.  This  was  immediately  stocked  for 
a  cattle  ranch,  and  is  still  used  for  that  purpose.  Since  the 
death  of  Mr.  Bixby's  old  partner  and  brother,  Llewellyn, 
Bixby  &  Co.  have  incorporated  their  holdings  In  this  ranch 
under  the  title  of  the  Palos  Verdes  Company.  Later  J. 
Bixby  &  Co.,  associated  with  the  late  John  W.  Bixby  and  I. 
W.  Hellman,  the  eminent  financier,  purchased  the  Los  Ala- 
mitos ranch  of  27,000  acres  situated  partly  in  Orange  and 
partly  in  Los  Angeles  counties.  After  the  death  of  John  W. 


Fork,  its  interests  being  formerly  managed  by  his  son,  Harry 
L.  Bixby,  who  died  October  20,  1902,  since  which  time 
Messrs.  W.  R.  and  E.  L.  Patterson  have  conducted  the  affairs 
of  the  company  at  that  point. 

The  Pacific  Creamery  Company,  doing  business  at  Buena 
Park,  Orange  county,  is  one  of  the  most  important  concerns 
in  the  rich  New  River  Valley.  They  manufacture  the  cele- 
brated Lily  brand  of  condensed  milk  and  cream,  buying 
directly  from  the  farmers.  The  factory  has  a  capacity  of 
over  9000  cases  of  evaporated  milk  and  cream  per  month,  the 
larger  part  of  which  is  disposed  of  in  California  and  Arizona. 

Mr.  Bixby,  while  probably  the  largest  individual  land 
owner  in  Southern  California,  has  acquired  his  interests  in 
every  instance  by  direct  purchase.  Mr.  Bixby's  interests  are 
by  no  means  confined  to  country  property.  He  is  an 


THE    SCENE   OF    JOTHAM    BIXBY  S    BOYHOOD   IN    MAINE. 


Bixby,  in  1887,  that  part  of  the  ranch  near  Long  Beach  was 
incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Alamitos  Land  Company. 

Some  years  ago  Mr.  Bixby  also  purchased  6000  acres  of  the 
Rancho  Santiago  de  Santa  Ana,  in  Orange  county,  running 
from  Santa  Ana  River  to<  Santiago  Creek ;  also  an  orange 
orchard  property  at  Temescal,  Riverside  County ;  besides 
several  small  ranch  properties  in  Tulare  and  San  Luis  Obispo 
counties.  Mr.  Bixby  is  also  the  president  and  principal 
stockholder  in  the  Loma  Vista  Ranch  Company,  a  corporation 
owning  about  800  acres  near  Summit  Station,  on  both  the 
Redondo  and  San  Pedro  electric  railways. 

In  Arizona  Mr.  Bixby  is  interested  in  the  Chino  Valley 
Cattle  Company,  of  which  corporation  he  is  president.  The 
company  does  an  extensive  sheep  raising  business  at  Ash 


extensive  holder  of  city  property,  both  here  and  in  Long 
Beach,  and  most  of  his  property  is  revenue-producing  and 
retained  for  permanency  of  investment  rather  than  specula- 
tion. He  is  president  of,  and  heavily  interested  in,  the 
National  Bank  of  Long  Beach,  and  is  prominent  in  every 
move  tending  toward  the  upbuilding  of  its  best  interests. 

Of  the  above  mentioned  corporations,  Mr.  Bixby  is  the 
president  of  all,  and  is  assisted  in  directing  their  affairs  by 
his  son,  George  H.  Bixby,  who,  since  his  graduation  from 
Yale  in  the  class  of  '86,  has  been  actively  engaged  in  assist- 
ing in  the  management  of  the  extensive  interests  of  his  father, 
who,  despite  his  seventy-two  years,  is  enjoying  the  vigorous 
manhood  which  so  well  befits  the  dauntless  spirit  which  won 
him  a  place  in  the  history  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 


52 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


ISAIAS   W.  HELLMAN. 


OF  ALL  the  distinguished  men  who  have  borne  a  hand 
in   the   upbuilding  of  the   great   modern   city   of   Los 
Angeles,    few   have   borne   a   more   conspicuous   part 
than    the    subject    of   the    following    sketch.     For    more   than 
forty  years,  from  the  time  this  was  a  frontier  village  to  the 
present  day  of  its  magnificence,  he  has  been  in  the  foreground 
of   most   enterprises   undertaken   in   all  the   work  of   develop- 
ment tending  to  make  this   one  of  the  handsomest   cities   of 
the  land. 

Isaias  W.    Hellman   was  born   in    Bavaria,    in     1842.        In 
1859,   while  still  a  mere  boy,  he  crossed  the  ocean,  came  to 
California  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  settled  in 
Los  Angeles.     Here  was 
his  home  for  more  than 
thirty  years,  and  much  of 
that  time  was  devoted  to 
the  public  good  in  many 
ways. 

The  boy  came  here  as 
a  stranger,  and  he  had 
no  advantage  on  earth 
outside  of  his  own.  per- 
sonality by  which  to 
make  his  way  in  the 
world.  He  had  neither 
money  nor  friends.  His 
capital  consisted  in  a 
fairly  good  education,  an 
indomitable  will,  a  clear, 
natural  insight  into  busi- 
ness, a  firm  determina- 
tion to  do  his  duty  prop- 
erly, and  an  indefatigable 
industry.  His  first  em- 
ployment was  in  a  store 
on  Los  Angeles  street,  at 
the  head  of  Aliso  street, 
in  the  Arcadia  building, 
erected  about  that  date 
by  Don  Abel  Stearns. 
The  business  center  \vas 
there  in  those  early  days. 
The  employment  was  not 
in  an  exalted  position. 
The  duties  were  exacting 
and  the  pay  was  small. 
But  I.  W.  Hellman  was 
not  the  kind  of  young 
man  to  stay  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  ladder  in 
any  circumstances.  He  never  proposed  to  stay  there. 

It  would  not  subserve  any  important  purpose  to  dwell  on 
the  early  years  of  effort,  earnest  and  persistent  though  they 
were,  on  the  part  of  this  young  man  to  make  his  way  upward 
in  the  world.  It  is  superfluous  to  say  that  he  met  with  dif- 
ficulties many  in  number  and  some  of  them  hard  to  surmount. 
The  important  fact  is  that  none  of  them  proved  sufficient  to 
discourage  a  spirit  so  strong  and  persistent.  With  admi- 
rable patience  and  tireless  energy  all  these  stumbling  blocks 
in  the  way  were  successfully  passed,  and  year  by  year  a  place 
of  greater  trust  and  dignity  and  of  larger  remuneration  was 
gained.  Business  men  discovered  faithfulness,  industry,  tact 


and  intuition  in  the  youth,  and  saw  that  it  would  be  a  good 
investment  to  put  more  confidence  in  him. 

Barely  nine  years  passed  from  his  entrance  into  Los  Ange- 
les, and  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-six,  when  I.  W.  Hellman 
had  so  impressed  his  personality  on  the  community  of  which 
he  was  a  member,  that  he  was  able  to  secure  capital  enough 
to  organize  a  bank  in  the  city,  which  at  that  time  numbered 
6000  inhabitants.  This  was  in  1868,  and  the  institution  was 
known  as  the  Hellman,  Temple  &  Co.  Bank.  From  its  incep- 
tion Mr.  Hellman  was  manager  of  the  institution.  He  has 
been  in  the  banking  business  ever  since,  and  today  his  name 
is  known  in  every  financial  center  of  the  globe.  He  is  even 

better  known  in  San 
Francisco  than  in  Los 
Angeles,  and  as  well 
known  in  New  York, 
London,  Paris  and  Ber- 
lin. He  stands  among 
bankers  as  one  of  the 
leading  financiers  of  the 
world.  Three  years  later 
the  Farmers  and  Mer- 
chants Bank  of  Los  An- 
geles was  organized,  and 
Mr.  Hellman,  who  was 
still  under  thirty  years  of 
age,  was  made  cashier 
and  manager  of  the  new 
institution.  In  the  course 
of  the  next  few  years  he 
was  elected  president  of 
this  bank,  and  for  thirty 
years  has  held  this  posi- 
tion through  the  grow- 
ing, unwavering  confi- 
dence of  the  stockholders, 
who  at  all  times  have 
been  composed  of  the 
leading,  most  substantial 
and  progressive  men  of 
the  city  at  all  stages  of 
its  development.  With 
every  step  of  advance  in 
population,  in  business 
and  in  wealth  made  by 
the  city,  under  Mr.  Hell- 
man's  guidance  this  in- 
stitution has  grown  at  a 
rate  greater  than  the 
growth  of  the  community 
in  any  respect.  Soon  after  its  organization  it  became  the 
leading  financial  institution  of  the  State  outside  of  San 
Francisco.  Today  it  holds  a  position  wholly  unrivaled 
among  the  banks  of  the  State  outside  of  the  metropolis.  And 
there  are  but  very  few  banks  in  San  Francisco  which  in  any 
respect  take  precedence  of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Los  Angeles.  The  deposits  amount  to  over 
$7,000,000,  and  its  assets  nearly  $10,000,000. 

Mr.  Hellman  has  the  genius  of  finance.  That  is,  he  was 
born  with  an  insight  into  the  principles  which  underlie  bank- 
ing. This  is  a  very  simple  business  to  the  man  who  has  this 
inborn  genius  for  it.  Nor  are  its  principles  very  complex. 


ISAIAS   W.   HELLMAN. 


-U£.V  Ol'  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


53 


Absolute  honesty  and  a  deep  and  abiding  consciousness  of  the 
great  responsibility  attaching  to  the  handling  of  other  people's 
money  are  the  corner-stone  of  successful  banking.  Success 
depends  upon  a  ready  ability  to  produce  the  money  of  depos- 
itors whenever  it  may  be  called  for.  The  rule  of  the  Farm- 
ers and  Merchants  National  Bank  from  the  time  of  its 
founding  has  been  to  carry  60  to  75  per  cent,  of  the  deposits 
where  they  are  always  available  for  the  use  of  those  who 
own  them,  without  a  moment's  notice. 

In  1891  the  stockholders  of  the  Nevada  Bank  of  San 
Francisco  found  it  necessary  to  reorganize  that  institution, 
which  had  passed  through  several  trying  crises  during  the 
previous  few  years.  In  looking  over  the  field  for  a  man  to 
put  at  the  head  of  this  institution,  the  stockholders  turned 
to  Los  Angeles  and  made  such  flattering  overtures  to  I.  W. 
Hcllman  that  he  very  reluctantly  consented  to  expatriate 
himself  from  Los  Angeles,  the  scene  of  his  business  suc- 
cesses, and  dear  to  him  from  many  associations  and  close 
friendships. 

In  the  spring  of  1870  Mr.  Hellman  had  married  Miss 
Esther  Neugass,  of  a  prominent  New  York  family.  In  the 
same  year  he  had  bought  a  handsome  piece  of  ground  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Fourth  streets,  and  here  he  had  built 
a  very  attractive  home.  In  this  house  his  family  had  been 
increased  from  time  to  time,  until  it  consisted  of  one  son  and 
two  daughters,  all  bright  young  people  of  great  promise. 
As  the  years  passed  the  banker  of  such  sterling  qualities  and 
unswerving  integrity  had  woven-  around  his  life  and  home  a 
great  many  strong  friendships.  His  business  interests  in  Los 
Angeles  were  many  and  great.  To  leave  the  sacred  precincts 
of  the  home  of  his  younger  days  and  to  disrupt  so  many 
ties  of  friendship,  as  well  as  of  business,  was  no  easy  thing. 
But  the  business  men  of  San  Francisco  would  not  be  put  off, 
and  they  made  so  determined  an  effort  to  secure  the  services 
of  a  man  in  whom  so  much  confidence  reposed  that  they 
induced  him  to  make  the  change.  For  twelve  years  Mr. 
Hellman  has  borne  the  great  responsibility  of  the  presidency 
of  both  banks.  His  home  is  in  the  metropolitan  city  on  the 
bay,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  half  his  mind  and  attention 
centers  in  Los  Angeles.  There  is  a  direct  wire  between  the 
two  banks,  and  by  this  means  the  president,  500  miles  away, 
is  in  daily  touch  with  the  vice-president  and  manager  of  the 
Farmers  and  Merchants  National  Bank  of  Los  Angeles.  He 
makes  frequent  visits  here,  and  is  at  all  times  cognizant  of 
all  important  transactions  affecting  the  well-being  of  the 
bank  and  the  interests  of  its  many  patrons.  With  nearly  one 
thousand  depositors  and  over  $7,000,000  in  deposits,  Mr 
Hellman's  oversight  in  this  way  is  considered  of  great  im- 
portance, able  and  faithful  though  his  loyal  lieutenants  at  this 
end  of  the  line  are. 

The  twin  institutions  are  growing  apace.  The  Nevada 
Bank  has  become  a  tower  of  financial  strength  since  Mr.  Hell- 
man assumed  direction  of  its  affairs.  The  Farmers  and 
Merchants  National  Bank  has  increased  in  all  respects  year 
by  year  as  the  growth  of  the  city  has  made  it  possible. 
Within  the  past  year  the  Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank  has 


been  converted  into  a  national  bank,  and  at  this  very  moment 
its  capital  stock  has  been  doubled,  making  the  capital  fully 
paid  up  $1,000,000.  Subscriptions  to  the  increased  stock  were 
subscribed  three  times  over,  so  eager  were  the  pecple  of  Los 
Angeles  to  secure  so  desirable  an  investment.  Preparations 
are  now  going  on  to  erect  a  new  home  for  the  bank  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Fourth  streets,  where  thirty  years  ago 
Mr.  Hellman  built  his  home  and  his  friends  made  a  jest  of 
his  "moving  out  of  the  city."  so  remote  from  business  was 
that  point  in  the  little  city  of  a  generation  ago.  Another 
improvement,  but  of  a  private  nature,  Mr.  Hellman  has  on 
hand  at  the  present  time,  is  the  putting  of  two  additional 
stories  on  his  great  business  block  on  the  corner  of  Broad- 
way and  Second  street.  This  will  make  a  modern  five-story 
building  of  larger  area  than  any  other  one  building  in  Los 
Angeles. 

Banking  and  other  business  interests,  however,  have  not 
monopolized  I.  W.  Hellman's  whole  time  and  attention.  In 
the  course  of  so  busy  a  career  he  has  found  time  to  accom- 
plish what  not  one  man  in  a  million  can  do.  He  speaks 
fluently  four  languages,  and  is  one  of  the  most  keenly  intelli- 
gent men  on  current  topics  on  the  Coast.  For  many  years 
he  has  been  a  useful  member  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the 
State  University,  and  his  views  on  all  that  affects  the  well 
being  of  that  institution  are  highly  valued  by  his  associates  on 
that  board. 

In  his  home  life  and  in  all  his  domestic  relations,  Mr.  Hell- 
man has  been  happy  far  beyond  the  lot  of  most  men.  His 
eldest  son,  I.  W.  Hellman,  Jr.,  now  of  man's  estate,  is 
happily  married,  and  stands  in  the  foremost  ranks  of  business 
men  in  San  Francisco,  as  the  head  of  the  Union  Trust  Com- 
pany. The  second  child,  a  daughter,  is  happily  married  to  one 
of  the  brightest  and  most  promising  lawyers  of  the  younger 
generation  in  that  city.  The  youngest  daughter  still  graces  as 
a  precious  ornament  the  parental  home,  known  as  one  of  the 
most  refined  and  enjoyable  to  a  host  of  friends,  of  all  the 
homes  of  the  great  city.  The  Hellman  summer  residence  in 
the  heart  of  the  mountains  on  Lake  Tahoe  is  a  beautiful 
place,  where,  as  the  weight  of  years  begins  to  accumulate,  the 
busy  financier  seeks  a  rest  from  cares,  and  renewed  strength 
for  his  multifarious  and  pressing  duties,  among  the  whispering 
pines  of  the  mountain  top,  and  by  the  music  of  the  waves 
that  break  on  the  shore  of  the  beautiful  lake. 

Only  a  brief  and  imperfect  sketch  of  Isaias  W.  Hellman  is 
here  presented.  His  many  services  rendered  Los  Angeles 
would  take  twice  the  space  here  occupied  to  recount.  Among 
the  very  latest  and  greatest,  perhaps,  mav  be  mentioned  the 
part  he  took  in  joining  Henry  E.  Huntington  and  others  in 
the  wonderful  enterprise  now  being  pushed  forward  to  give 
Southern  California  one  of  the  most  complete  systems  of 
rapid  transit  in  the  country.  Still  in  the  prime  of  life  and 
usefulness,  I.  W.  Hellman  stands  ever  ready  to  further  any 
scheme  for  the  benefit  of  Los  Angeles,  where  his  greatest 
achievements  were  won,  where  so  manv  of  his  great  interests 
center  and  where  hosts  of  his  friends  reside. 


54 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


GEORGE  I.  COCHRAN. 


IT  IS  interesting  in  reviewing  the  careers  of  men  who 
have  made  signal  success  in  Los  Angeles  to  note  the 
various  stations  in  life  from  which  they  come.  While 
Fortune  has  chosen  her  sponsors  from  all  ranks  of  society, 
as  established  by  difference  of  means  and  education,  it  is 
a  conspicuous  fact  that  the  favored  ones  represent,  as  a 
rule,  the  conservative,  persevering  and  deserving  element. 
The  subject  of  this  biography  was  possessed  of  superior 
educational  resources  before  entering  professional  circles  in 
this  State,  and  is  one  whose  experience  has  evidenced  a 
marked  fitness  for  the  obligations  imposed  by  success.  The 
writer  in  compiling  a  select  list  of  representative  citizens 
who  have  accomplished  most  for  their  city  and  State,  joins 
the  public  in  paying  re- 
spectful homage  to  George 
I.  Cochran,  one  of  the  city's 
most  progressive  and  suc- 
cessful men  of  affairs. 

George  I.  Cochran  was 
born  near  Toronto,  Canada, 
July  i,  1863.  He  had 
hardly  received  the  first 
impressions  o  f  boyhood, 
however,  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Japan,  .where 
the  family  lived  from  1873 
to  1879.  In  the  latter  year 
his  father,  the  Rev.  George 
Cochran,  D.  D.,  returned 
from  his  missionary  labors 
to  his  former  home  at  To- 
ronto. The  Rev.  Mr.  Coch- 
ran was  one  of  the  first 
Methodist  missionaries  sent 
to  Japan,  and  took  a  promi- 
nent part  in  church  work, 
being  president  of  the  To- 
r  o  n  t  o  Methodist  Church 
Conference,  Dean  of  the 
University  of  Southern 
California,  and  occupying 
many  other  important  posi- 
tions in  the  Methodist 
Church. 

Upon  the  return  of  the 
family  to  Toronto  from 
their  residence  in  Japan, 
young  George  entered  the 
Toronto  University  and 
later  was  called  to  the 
bar  at  Osgood  Hall,  To- 
ronto. He  commenced  practice  as  a  barrister  and 
met  with  gratifying  success  even  at  that  time.  His 
parents  were  of  Scotch  and  Irish  descent,  also  related 
to  the  now  famous  Wesley  family  on  his  mother's  side 
of  the  house,  and  George  inherited  the  sterling  quality 
of  character  predominant  in  both  races.  His  mother  was  a 
devout  woman  and  a  true  helpmeet  to  her  husband.  Having 
equipped  himself  for  life's  battle,  the  young  man  came  to 
Los  Angeles  in  March,  1888,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  and 
at  once  identified  himself  with  the  best  interests  of  his 
adopted  home.  He  met  with  immediate  and  gratifying  suc- 


GEORGE    I.    COCHRAN 


cess,  and  won  prominence  for  his  knowledge  of  the  law, 
and  for  his  untiring  efforts  in  behalf  of  clients.  Soon  after 
he  was  happily  married  to  Miss  Alice  McClung,  also  a 
Canadian  and  old-time  acquaintance. 

It  was  in  1893,  during  the  financial  panic  which  overtook 
the  country,  that  Mr.  Cochran  first  came  into  wide  banking 
prominence.  As  attorney  for  the  Los  Angeles  Clearing 
House  he  directed  the  legal  affairs  and  counseled  the  business 
interests  of  that  organization  at  that  time,  when  an  error 
would  have  meant  ruin  to  thousands.  No  more  flattering 
testimonial  could  have  been  tendered  Mr.  Cochran  in 
recognition  of  his  valuable  service  than  the  one  adopted 
by  that  body  after  the  crisis  had  been  safely  passed. 

He  took  an  active  part 
in  organizing  and  incorpo- 
rating the  Broadway  Bank 
and  Trust  Company,  and 
has  been  its  first  vice-presi- 
dent since  its  inception. 
Under  good,  conservative 
management  this  banking 
house  has  attained  a  repu- 
tation as  one  of  the  most 
substantial  and  progressive 
concerns  in  the  city  and 
State  as  well.  Recently  its 
growing  business  demanded 
larger  quarters,  and  another 
thirty  feet  was  added  to  the 
counting  room,  which  occu- 
pies the  larger  part  of  the 
Broadway  side  of  the  im- 
posing Bradbury  building. 
Among  the  most  success- 
ful of  Mr.  Cochran's  indus- 
trial promotions  is  that  of 
the  Conservative  Life  In- 
surance Company,  of  which 
body  he  is  vice-president 
and  one  of  the  largest 
stockholders.  In  associa- 
tion with  other  Los  Ange- 
les capitalists,  Mr.  Cochran 
organized  this  company  but 
two  and  one-half  years  ago, 
and  during  that  period  of 
time  it  has  eclipsed  all  pre- 
vious records  held  by  in- 
surance companies,  both  as 
to  insurance  in  force  and 
surplus  attained. 
While  much  of  Mr.  Cochran's  time  is  necessarily  engaged 
by  the  demands  of  his  law  practice,  he  is  interested  in  the 
Los  Angeles  Trust  Company,  and  is  upon  its  directorate. 
The  company  does  a  business  along  the  lines  of  the  great 
trust  companies  of  the  Eastern  cities,  and  has  built  up  a 
handsome  business  in  this  city.  The  Rosedale  Cemetery 
Association,  which  owns  one  of  the  most  beautiful  plots  of 
ground  in  Southern  California,  claims  Mr.  Cochran  as  its 
vice-president  and  one  of  its  directors,  while  the  Seaside 
Water  Company,  which  supplies  water  for  Long  Beach,  San 
Pedro  and  Wilmington  for  irrigation  and  domestic  purposes 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


55 


as  well,  is  another  of  the  successful  companies  that  have- 
been  launched  by  Mr.  Cochran  and  associates.  As  a  direc- 
tor and  secretary  of  the  United  Gas,  Electric  and  Power 
Company,  he  has  done  much  to  advance  the  interests  of  that 
corporation  and  the  patronage  it  serves,  and  latterl"  was 
largely  instrumental  in  consolidating  it  with  the  well-known 
Edison  Electric  Company. 

The  Santa  Barbara  Consolidated  Street  Railway  Company, 
operating  the  car  lines  in  the  entire  city  of  Santa  Barbara, 
claims  Mr.  Cochran  as  a  director,  while  the  Artesian  Water 
Company,  a  local  corporation  that  has  been  expending  money 
with  a  lavish  hand  in  developing  water  for  near-by  towns,  is 
indebted  to  Mr.  Cochran  for  his  legal  and  business  advice  at 
board  meetings. 

One  of  the  most  recent  and  withal  the  most  successful  of 


churches  in  this  city  that  promises  to  soon  rival  Brooklyn 
as  a  "  City  of  Churches."  Prominent  and  foremost  in  busi- 
ness enterprises,  the  same  progressive  spirit  and  executive 
ability  are  noted  in  Mr.  Cochran's  church  work.  He  is 
a  member  of  a  commission  of  fifteen  appointed  by 
the  last  General  Methodist  Conference  to  consider  and  report 
upon  a  plan  if  feasible  to  consolidate  the  big  benevolences 
of  the  church.  This  most  important  matter  will  be  con- 
sidered at  the  next  General  Conference,  which  will  be  held  in 
Los  Angeles  in  May,  1904. 

In  educational  matters,  Mr.  Cochran  takes  an  active  part 
and  does  much  to  advance  the  interests  of  not  only  the  city 
but  the  State  as  well.  He  has  been  one  of  the  trustees  and 
treasurer  of  the  University  of  Southern  California  for  many 
years,  and  is  one  of  the  university's  most  loyal  supporters. 


RESIDENCE  OF  GEORGE  I.  COCHRAN. 


his  promotions  is  that  known  as  the  West  Adams  Heights 
Association.  This  is  one  of  the  show  places  of  the  city,  and 
one  of  the  choicest  residence  sections.  The  addition  gives 
about  half  a  mile  square  of  fine  residence  property  to  the 
city,  and  the  class  of  residences  that  are  being  erected  insures 
a  maintenance  of  Los  Angeles'  reputation  as  a  city  of  beau- 
tiful homes.  Among  the  number  already  erected  few  are 
more  artistic  from  an  architectural  standpoint  than  that 
owned  by  Mr.  Cochran  on  Harvard  Boulevard,  an  engraving 
of  which  accompanies  this  article. 

Despite  business  and  financial  cares,  Mr.  Cochran  has  never 
blinded  himself  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  Los  Angeles'  citizens. 
His  early  training  was  undoubtedly  instrumental  in  his  con- 
nection with  the  founding  of  the  Westlake  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and  fashionable 


Politically  Mr.  Cochran  is  a  staunch  Republican,  and  an 
able  defender  of  the  tenets  of  his  party.  He  has  never 
sought  political  office,  his  ambitions  not  lying  in  a  political 
pathway.  He  has  always  stood  for  good  citizenship,  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  County 
Central  Committee  for  many  years. 

George  I.  Cochran  has  the  capacity  for  solving  aright  the 
business  problems  of  an  eventful  career,  and  his  unerring 
judgment  has  been  the  fulcrum  on  which  has  turned  the  suc- 
cess of  great  enterprises.  As  a  promoter  of  industrial  enter- 
prises he  has  met  with  a  success  that  has  been  manifestly 
the  reward  of  business  ability  of  the  highest  order,  an  ability 
that  has  made  him  one  of  the  foremost  promoters  in  the 
city,  giving  to  Southern  California  a  means  of  develop- 
ment and  prosperity  well  befitting  her  vast  natural  wealth. 


56 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


FREDRICK   H.  RINDGE. 


A  NATIVE  of  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  of  old  New 
England  ancestry,  Fredrick  H.  Rindge's  debut  upon  the 
stage  of  life  was  most  auspicious.  Born  in  1857,  his 
early  boyhood  was  spent  mid  the  scenes  of  that  historic  old 
town,  where  he  received  his  education  and  prepared  for  Har- 
vard. Graduating  with  the  class  of  '79,  he  was  in  college 
with  Theodore  Roosevelt  and  many  other  distinguished  men 
of  affairs.  Some  time  after  receiving  his  degree  from  the 
university,  Mr.  Rindge  succeeded  to  the  possessions  and  man- 
agement of  the  extensive 
estate  left  by  his  father, 
and  the  ensuing  few  years 
found  his  time  and  atten- 
tion occupied  with  the  de- 
tails of  its  management. 

Business  and  financial 
cares  have  never  blinded 
Mr.  Rindge  to  an  apprecia- 
tion of  the  duties  of  good 
citizenship,  and  he  has  con- 
tributed liberally  to  all 
causes  calculated  to  benefit 
the  public  weal.  He  gave 
to  the  city  of  •  Cambridge 
its  imposing  City  Hall,  later 
presenting  it  with  a  Public 
Library  building  that  is  a 
handsome  structure.  His 
latest  and  possibly  greatest 
gift  was  the  Manual  Train- 
ing School,  which  he  con- 
ducted at  his  own  expense 
for  a  period  of  ten  years, 
finally  turning  it  over  to 
the  city.  A  direct  result  of 
this  benefaction  was  the 
passage  of  a  law  by  the 
State  Legislature  making 
compulsory  the  establish- 
ment and  maintenance  of 
similar  schools  by  all  cities 
of  over  20,000  population 
in  the  State. 

In  1887  Mr.  Rindge  came 
to  Los  Angeles,  and  at- 
tracted by  its  genial  climate 
as  much  as  by  its  undevel- 
oped resources,  decided 
upon  a  residence  here  for 
at  least  a  part  of  the  year. 
His  first  investment  of  im- 
portance was  the  purchase 
of  a  beautiful  and  historic 
old  ranch,  which  he  still 
maintains.  The  location  of  the  property  near  Los  Angeles  is 
most  desirable,  and  the  ranch  is  in  a  highly  productive  state, 
being  largely  devoted  to  raising  grain  and  cattle.  It  stretches 
along  the  coast  for  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles,  and  has 
the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  largest  ranches  in  this 
country  of  princely  domains,  where  15,000  acres  is  considered 
nothing  unusual. 

As  president  of  the  Maclay  Rancho  and  Water  Company 
he  has  been  instrumental  in  opening  up  to  settlement,  under 


FREDRICK    H.   RINDGE. 


the  most  favorable  conditions,  a  40OO-acre  tract  of  land 
located  in  the  famous  San  Fernando  Valley,  that  is  being 
marketed  in  small  tracts  already  set  to  citrus  fruits.  A  large 
portion  of  the  property  is  now  in  trees,  while  the  balance 
is  all  highly  productive  and  beautifully  located.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  note  in  this  connection  that  the  land  lies  entirely 
in  the  frostless  belt,  and  is  free  from  scale  and  other  pests 
which  frequently  prove  such  a  drawback  to  orchardists  in 
this  section.  A  frequent  service  on  the  Southern  Pacific 

makes  the  location  most  de- 
sirable, being  within  forty 
minutes'  ride  of  Los  Ange- 
les. 

It  is  probably  as  president 
of  the  Conservative  Life  In- 
surance Company  that  Mr. 
Rindge's  name  is  most  fre- 
quently before  the  public. 
As  president  of  the  company 
he  has  been  largely  instru- 
mental in  the  upbuilding  of 
the  company's  fi  n  a  n  c  i  a  1 
strength.  The  Conservative 
was  incorporated  under  the 
laws  of  California  with  a 
capital  stock  of  $200,000.  at 
a  par  value  of  $100,  with  a 
surplus  of  $100,000,  all  paid 
in.  The  basis  of  the  organ- 
ization on  its  insurance 
operations  is  that  accepted 
the  world  over  as  the  only 
true,  scientific  calculation 
for  safely  offering  such  in- 
demnity. It  is  technically 
known  as  the  "  old-line  legal 
reserve "  system.  In  finan- 
cial circles  throughout  the 
State  and  the  country  as 
well,  the  company  was  im- 
mediately recog  n  i  z  e  d  as 
having  started  under  the 
most  auspicious  circum- 
stances, and  within  a  short 
time  after  its  incorporation 
its  stock  was  quoted  at  60 
per  cent,  above  par.  Its 
growth  has  been  remarkable, 
even  unprecedented,  in  the 
history  of  insurance  com- 
panies in  this  country.  No 
company  of  the  same  age 
ever  showed  so  much  insur- 
ance in  force,  so  much  sur- 
plus or  so  much  assets  as  the  Conservative  Life,  now  little 
over  three  years  old. 

Mr.  Rindge's  interests  are  by  no  means  confined  to  the 
enterprises  above  mentioned.  He  has  purchased  liberally  of 
the  best  business  and  residence  realty  in  Los  Angeles,  and, 
through  his  enterprise  in  the  erection  of  expensive,  modern 
improvements,  has  contributed  in  a  generous  degree  to  the 
growth  and  upbuilding  of  the  city.  He  is  interested  in  a 
number  of  the  most  substantial  banking  houses  in  the  city, 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


57 


and  in  various  other  private  enterprises  too  numerous  to 
mention  in  detail.  As  a  director  in  the  Edison  Electric 
Company  he  has  been  influential,  and  is  at  present  interested, 
in  developing  Kern  River  power,  it  being  the  purpose  of  the 
company  to  bring  10,000  horse-power  into  Los  Angeles  in 
less  than  two  years  from  this  source  alone.  As  president 
of  the  Artesian  Company  he  and  his  associates  have  laid 
the  foundations  of  a  water  system  of  great  usefulness,  and 
incidentally  the  company  has  developed  water  for  irrigating 
purposes  for  the  Palms  and  Ballona.  He  is  also  vice- 
president  of  the  Union  Oil  Company  of  California. 

Mr.  Kludge  has  not  confined  his  investments  wholly  to  this 
portion  of  the  State.     He  has  invested  liberally  in  developing 


reclaiming  lands  in  much  the  same  manner  as  employed  by 
the  Hollanders.  Over  25,000  acres  have  been  reclaimed  and 
placed  in  a  highly  productive  state  by  the  simple  process  of 
building  immense  dikes  along  the  river,  burning  and  plowing 
the  tule  lands  and  dredging  the  river,  throwing  the  rich  sedi- 
ment onto  the  tule  lands  through  long  sluice  boxes.  The 
most  recent  purchase  is  a  tract  of  8000  acres  which  belonged 
to  the  Ross  Sargent  estate.  Success  has  attended  the  efforts 
of  the  company,  and  in  one  field  of  potatoes  there  are  over 
5000  acres.  Seven  dredges  and  over  one  thousand  men  have 
been  employed  upon  the  work  at  one  time,  and  the  enterprise 
is  one  of  great  importance  to  that  section  of  the  State  along 
the  San  Joaquin  River  tributary  to  Stockton. 


BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW   OK   FREDRICK    H.  RINDGE'S   RANCH. 


dormant  resources  in  the  arid  regions,  bringing  at  great 
expense  water  to  the  thirsty  soil,  and  making  it  possible  for 
orchards  and  vineyards  to  grow  where  formerly  the  land  was 
given  over  to  the  cactus  and  sage  brush.  Besides  these  com- 
panies with  which  his  name  is  connected,  he  has  assisted  in 
the  success  of  many  enterprises  along  similar  lines  that  would 
not  have  been  launched  without  his  financial  support. 

In  the  central  portion  of  the  State  Mr.  Rindge  is  interested 
in  reclaiming  thousands  of  acres  of  peat  and  tule  lands  near 
Stockton.  He  is  president  of  the  Middle  River  Canal  and 
Navigation  Company,  a  company  formed  for  the  purpose  of 


With  such  extensive  interests  in  California,  including  great 
ranchos,  vast  stretches  of  irrigated  lands,  thousands  of  acres 
of  peat  lands,  immense  oil  interests,  and  a  number  of  banking 
and  financial  institutions,  Mr.  Rindge  finds  his  time  much 
taken  up,  but  he  still  retains  his  manufacturing  interests 
in  historic  New  England,  and  makes  frequent  trips  to  his 
eastern  home. 

His  Los  Angeles  residence  is  on  West  Adams  Heights,  one 
of  the  newest  and  most  exclusive  residence  sections  of  this 
city.  Here  he  lives  in  a  manner  befitting  his  station 
in  social  and  financial  circles. 


58 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


STEPHEN   MALLORY  WHITE. 


IN  PREPARING  a  publication  of  a  historical  nature  in 
which  the  lives  of  some  of  California's  most  distinguished 
citizens  are  chronicled  it  is  appropriate  to  devote  special 
space  to  the  memory  of  the  late  United  States  Senator 
Stephen  M.  White,  for  his  name  is  inseparably  associated 
with  a  host  of  public  measures  of  unquestioned  value.  He 
was  probably  one  of  the  most  widely  known  citizens  of  Cali- 
fornia. While  he  was  in  the  prime  of  life  he  wielded  a  pow- 
erful influence  in  the  councils  of  his  State  and  the  nation. 
Yet  his  rise  was  not  meteoric,  but  was  a  steady  development 
of  intellectual  powers,  a  steady  ripening  of  influence  and  a 
sure  advancement  in  the  shaping  of  the  policy  of  the  political 
party  he  represented.  In  the  various  high  offices  to  which  he 
was  elected  he  proved 
himself  able,  by  wise 
statesmanship,  to  pre- 
serve the  honor  of  our 
State  and  country,  and 
to  conserve  the  high- 
est welfare.  Strong  in 
attachment  to  principle 
and  living  in  times  of 
partisan  strife,  his  ca- 
reer nevertheless  ex- 
emplified the  maxim 
that  "  He  serves  his 
party  best  who  serves 
his  country  best."  One 
of  the  guiding  princi- 
ples of  his  life  was  in- 
dependence of  action, 
his  determination  to  do 
his  duty  regardless  of 
consequences,  and  a 
steadfast  adherence  to 
the  dictates  of  his  con- 
science, regardless  of 
the  shifting  sentiment 
of  today  or  tomorrow. 
In  the  course  of  his 
long  public  career  he 
made  many  enemies,  as 
every  man  who  enters 
the  service  of  his  coun- 
try is  the  subject  of 
more  or  less  severe 
criticism  from  his  op- 
ponents. But  it  must 
be  said  that  the  bitter- 
est political  opponent  of 
Senator  White  always 
conceded  him  to  be  a  man  of  remarkable  ability,  with  a  genius 
for  public  affairs,  and  an  unlimited  force  of  determination 
and  will  power.  Such  was  the  late  Stephen  M.  White. 

A  native  son  of  California,  Stephen  M.  White  was  born 
January  19,  1853,  in  San  Francisco,  which  was  then  little  more 
than  a  straggling  village.  His  father  was  a  merchant  in  that 
city,  having  emigrated  with  his  wife  early  in  the  spring  of 
"49.  Stephen's  early  boyhood  was  spent  in  the  Pajaro  Val- 
ley in  Santa  Cruz  county,  where  his  father  had  removed 
shortly  after  his  son's  birth.  Here  he  received  the  rudiments 


STEPHEN    MAU.ORY   WHITE. 


of  his  education,  later  being  sent  to  a  private  school  in  Oak- 
land, and  at  sixteen  he  entered  St.  Ignatius  College,  San 
Francisco,  finally  graduating  from  Santa  Clara  College  in  1871. 
For  ten  months  after  his  graduation  he  read  law  in  the  office 
of  A.  W.  Blair  in  Watsonville,  about  one  year  in  a  law  office 
in  Santa  Cruz  with  C.  B.  Younger  and  nearly  the  same  length 
of  time  with  Albert  Hagan  of  the  same  place.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  on  the  I4th  of  April,  1874,  and  the  following 
November  came  to  Los  Angeles  to  practice. 

Success  attended  his  efforts,  and  the  future  Senator  won 
immediate  recognition  in  professional  circles  throughout  this 
section  of  the  State.  His  first  political  office  was  accepted  in 
1883-4,  when  he  served  as  District  Attorney  of  Los  Angeles 

county,  the  duties  of 
which  he  performed  in 
such  a  manner  as  to 
elicit  the  general  at- 
tention and  satisfaction. 
On  the  5th  of  June, 
1883,  Mr.  White  was 
wedded  to  one  of  the 
most  accomplished  and 
charming  ladies  of  this 
city,  Hortense  Sacriste. 
The  marriage  took 
place  at  the  Cathedral 
on  Main  street,  and  was 
one  of  the  social  events 
of  the  year.  In  1886 
Mr.  White  served  with 
conspicuous  ability  in 
the  State  Senate.  Soon 
after  he  became  State 
Senator,  the  Governor, 
Washington  Bart  1  e  1 1, 
died,  and  Lieut.-Gov. 
Waterman  became 
Chief  Executive,  which 
caused  Mr.  White  to  be 
presiding  officer  of  the 
Senate  the  first  session 
and  acting  Lieutenant- 
Governor  in  the  second 
session.  His  thorough 
knowledge  of  parlia- 
mentary rules  enabled 
him  to  fill  these  posi- 
tions with  fairness  to 
all  and  in  a  manner 
above  criticism  from 
any.  While  a  State 
Senator,  Mr.  White  made  his  famous  canvass  for  the  United 
States  Senate.  When,  in  1893,  there  was  a  vacancy  in  the 
national  Senatorial  office,  he  was  elected  to  that  high  office  on 
the  first  ballot.  He  took  his  seat  March  4,  1893,  and  of  his 
career  in  that  great  office  much  is  recorded  in  history. 

Senator  White's  death,  on  February  21,  1901,  was  a  great 
loss  to  the  people  of  California,  more  than  they  possibly  re- 
alized. City,  county,  State  and  national  organizations  joined  in 
paying  respect  to  his  memory.  Flags  were  hung  at  half-mast 
throughout  the  State,  and  his  loss  was  universally  mourned. 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


59 


HERMAN   W.  HELLMAN. 


HERMAN  W.  HELLMAN  was  born  September  25, 
1843,  in  Bavaria,  Germany.  His  early  boyhood  was 
spent  with  his  parents,  and  was  devoted  to  the  studies 
of  the  elementary  branches  now  taught  in  the  public  schools 
and  grammar  grades.  He  was  an  ambitious  youth,  and, 
when  a  mere  boy,  determined  to  go  forth  into  the  world  for 
himself  and  hew  out  his  fortune.  Yielding  to  the  over- 
whelming impulse,  he  left  home  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and 
directed  his  steps  to  this  country,  coming  directly  to  Los 
Angeles,  then  a  little  Spanish  town  of  less  than  3000  souls. 
The  first  position  held 
by  young  Hellman  was 
that  of  freight  clerk  in 
the  employ  of  Gen. 
Phineas  Banning  of 
Wilmington.  His  in- 
clinations turned  in- 
stinctively to  finance, 
however,  and  he  short- 
ly resigned  his  position 
to  engage  in  business 
in  the  stationery  line. 
As  a  merchant.  Mr. 
Hellman  pros  p  e  r  e  d. 
After  a  few  years'  part- 
nership he  sold  out  his 
interest  in  the  business 
and  started  for  himself 
in  the  same  line.  Suc- 
cess again  attended  his 
efforts,  and  in  March, 
1870,  he  determined  to 
revisit  the  scenes  of  his 
boyhood,  and,  dispos- 
ing of  his  business  to 
advantage,  he  spent  the 
following  year  in  trav- 
eling throughout  Eu- 
rope. 

Returning  to  the 
country  of  his  adoption 
in  the  fall  of  1871,  Mr. 
Hellman  assoc  i  a  t  e  d 
himself  with  an  old 
school  friend.  Jacob 
Haas,  and  founded  the 
wholesale  grocery  house 
of  Hellman,  Haas  & 
Co.,  which,  under  Mr. 
Hellman's  active  man- 
agement, carried  on  an 
extensive  trade  in 
Southern  California, 
Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  portions  of  Texas,  for 
nearly  two  decades.  In  1890  Mr.  Hellman  retired  from  the 
firm  of  Hellman,  Haas  &  Co.,  and  then  accepted  the  position 
of  vice-president  and  local  manager  of  the  Farmers  and 
Merchants  Bank,  at  that  time  a  State  institution.  No  better 
choice  could  have  been  made.  His  mercantile  education  was 
gained  in  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  successful  business 


HERMAN    W.    HELLMAN 


houses  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  his  experience  had  been  in 
association  with  men  to  whom  business  was  a  life  pursuit. 
Under  H.  W.  Hellman  the  Farmers  and  Merchants 
Bank  continued  to  grow  —  deposits  then  $2,300,000  — 
during  an  era  of  prosperity  which  has  known  no  re- 
verses. The  estimation  and  confidence  in  which  the  bank 
was  held  are  best  shown  by  the  deposits,  which,  during  Mr. 
Hellman's  management,  aggregated  the  enormous  sum  of 
$7.500,000.  This  trust  has  never  been  betrayed,  and  in  1893. 
when  a  feeling  of  insecurity  pervaded  financial  circles 

throughout  the  coun- 
try, the  Farmers 
and  Merchants  Bank, 
under  the  wise  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Hellman, 
stood  intact. 

Other  financial  insti- 
tutions and  business  en- 
terprises claimed  so 
much  of  his  attention, 
however,  that  last  May 
Mr.  Hellman  tendered 
his  resignation  of  the 
position  he  had  so  long 
and  ably  filled  with  the 
Farmers  and  Merchants 
National  Bank.  His  in- 
tention was  to  devote 
his  entire  time  to  pri- 
vate enterprises,  but  his 
purpose  was  interrupt- 
ed by  the  stockholders 
of  the  Merchants  Na- 
tional Bank  tendering 
him  a  unanimous  and 
insistent  call  to  the 
presidency  of  that  in- 
stitution. Mr.  Hellman 
was  finally  prevailed 
upon  to  accept  the  re- 
sponsibility. Important 
changes  and  improve- 
ments in  the  bank  were 
promptly  decided  upon, 
Mr.  Hellman  entering 
upon  the  work  with  the 
energy  and  ambition  so 
characteristic  of  the 
man. 

He  is  a  director  of  the 
Security  Savings  Bank, 
which  has  recently 
taken  in  the  Main 
Street  Savings  Bank,  an  institution  with  which  his  name 
had  long  been  connected. 

Mr.  Hellman  has  erected  an  imposing  eight-story  office 
building  in  the  heart  of  Los  Angeles,  which  is  absolutely 
fireproof  and  modern  in  every  particular,  the  cost  of  the 
structure  and  grounds  exceeding  $1,500,000,  and  making  it 
one  of  the  handsomest  buildings  on  the  Pacific  Slope. 


60 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


JOHN   F.  FRANCIS. 


ONE  of  America's  most  brilliant  orators  and  statesmen 
it  was  who  said  that  "  Over  all  wealth,  above  all 
station,  above  all  the  noble,  the  robed  and  crowned, 
rises  the  sincere  man.''  The  man  who  by  his  sincerity  of 
purpose  and  devotion  to  high  ideals  wins  a  place  in  the 
hearts  of  his  fellow-men  has,  after  all,  won  the  enduring 
success.  A  career  which  elevates  one's  own  self  and  at  the 
same  time  reaches  out  and  helps  to  raise  those  with  whom 
one  comes  in  contact  has  an  influence  so  widespread  as  to 
be  immeasurable.  To  the  city  of  Los  Angeles  has 
been  given  such  a  character  in  the  late  John  F.  Francis, 
whose  recent  death  in  the  very  prime  of  his  manhood 
deeply  touched  the  hearts 
of  an  immense  circle  of 
his  fellow-men.  In  both 
his  life  and  death  he 
builded  to  himself  a 
monument  of  love  for 
others  and  devotion  to 
the  highest  aims  of  ex- 
istence that  stands  bright 
in  the  history  of  Los  An- 
geles citizenship. 

John  F.  Francis  was 
born  in  Clinton,  Iowa, 
and  his  earlier  years 
were  spent  there.  On 
completion  of  his  school 
work  young  Francis  en- 
joyed the  privilege  of  a 
journey  to  continental 
Europe,  where  his  keen 
observation  and  retentive 
memory  were  used  to 
largely  add  to  his  store 
of  knowledge  and  to 
broaden  his  views  of  life. 
After  returning  to  Amer- 
ica, his  love  of  military 
affairs  caused  him  to  en- 
list in  the  Kansas  Volun- 
teer Cavalry,  under  the 
command  of  Capt.  David 
L.  Payne.  Mr.  Francis 
served  irt  this  military 
body  during  the  Indian 
campaign  on  the  Kansas 
western  frontier  in  1867, 
and  experienced  many  of 
the  thrilling  phases  of 
frontier  warfare. 

Imbued  with  a  spirit 
of  adventure,  Mr.  Fran- 
cis devoted  the  years  following  to  the  experiences  of 
frontier  life  in  the  Western  plains  and  mountains.  He  spent 
much  time  in  the  wildest  sections  of  Colorado,  Wyoming, 
Nevada  and  California,  and  gathered  a  vast  fund  of  infor- 
mation relative  to  these  countries.  After  a  considerable 
period  of  time  spent  in  this  rugged  life,  Mr.  Francis  again 
made  the  journey  to  Europe,  and  there  he  leisurely  visited 
the  many  points  of  interest  and  historical  note.  He  returned 
to  California  in  1888,  but  soon  was  called  to  Europe 
again  by  the  death  of  a  dear  friend.  He  then  remained 


JOHN   F.  FRANCIS. 


on  that  side  of  the  Atlantic  until  1891,  when  he  re- 
turned and  took  up  his  life  as  an  active  citizen  of 
Los  Angeles. 

His  public  life  in  Los  Angeles  is  a  record  of  devotion 
to  the  city's  best  interests.  As  a  member  of  the  Los  Angeles 
Chamber  of  Commerce ;  as  an  ardent  worker  for  the  deep- 
water  harbor  at  San  Pedro ;  as  a  manager  of  the  popular 
local  festival,  "  La  Fiesta  de  Los  Angeles ;''  as  a  helper 
in  every  cause  for  the  development  of  Los  Angeles  and  of 
Southern  California,  Mr.  Francis  was  indefatigable.  His 
ability  and  means  were  given  with  a  free  hand  to  further 
these  ends,  and  with  him  there  was  no  turning  back  after 

putting  his    hand    to    the 
plow. 

Mr.  Francis  had  social 
qualities  which  endeared 
him  to  everyone  who 
knew  him.  He  was  an 
able  conversationalist,  a 
royal  entertainer;  he  had 
a  sweet  spirit  and  a  sense 
of  deep  loyalty  to  his 
friends,  and  his  extensive 
travel  and  keen  powers 
of  observation  made  him 
a  welcome  comrade  with 
men  of  intellect  and 
learning.  He  was  an 
ardent  churchman,  a  de- 
voted son  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith.  He  did 
much  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  church's  in- 
terests. Mr.  Francis  was 
one  of  the  founders  and, 
until  his  death,  the  presi- 
dent of  that  well-known 
organization  of  Catholic 
laymen,  the  Newman 
Club.  This  club  was 
very  dear  to  Mr.  Fran- 
cis, and  he  devoted  much 
time  to  it. 

Death  came  to  Mr. 
Francis  after  a  lingering 
illness  of  many  months — • 
July  4,  1903.  The  fu- 
eral  services  were  held 
at  the  Cathedral  of  St. 
Vibiana,  and  that  edifice 
could  not  hold  the  people 
who  gathered  to  pay  to 
the  noble  life  of  John  F. 

Francis  their  last  tribute  of  respect.  Numerous  church 
dignitaries  participated  at  the  solemn  Pontifical  Requiem 
Mass,  and  the  various  Catholic  societies  attended  in  a  body. 
Perhaps  no  more  fitting  expression  could  be  found  with 
which  to  close  this  brief  account  of  that  beloved  citizen 
than  the  following  beautiful  tribute  published  in  the  Los 
Angeles  Daily  Times : 

"  Death  has  robbed  Los  Angeles  of  another  of  her  strong, 
brave  and  kindly  men  —  a  man  who  was  ever  in  the  fore  in 
good  works,  who  was  the  very  soul  of  generosity  and 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


61 


charity,  who   was  sweet  of  temper,  sunny  of  spirit,  buoyant, 
genial   and  true. 

"  Mr.  Francis  was  essentially  a  good  citizen  and  never  a 
self-seeker.  He  repeatedly  declined  to  stand  for  public 
office,  but  as  a  private  in  the  civic  ranks,  never  was 
there  a  better  soldier.  Where  there  was  suffering  to  be 
ameliorated,  tears  to  be  wiped  away,  courage  to  be  put  into 
despairing  souls,  there  was  John  F.  Francis  with  his  open 
purse,  his  tender  sympathy,  his  sturdy  courage.  Tireless 
in  the  discharge  of  an  undertaking,  zealous  and  filled  with 


one  need  have  no  fear  that  better  days  for  the  race  will  not 
come  than  those  which  have  passed  away.  While  such  men 
as  he  can  live  in  peace  with  their  fellow-men  and  prosper, 
there  is  encouragement  for  other  good  men  who  are  in  the 
midst  of  the  bitter  struggle  of  our  civilization. 

"Such  men  as  John  F.  Francis  are  a  blessing  to  the  world, 
for  they  give  examples  that  reach  out  for  the  betterment 
thereof.  It  is  such  as  he  who  has  gone  unto  everlasting  rest 
who  makes  proof  of  the  aphorism  that  '  the  post  of  honor  is 
the  private  station.' 


RESIDENCE   OF   THE    LATE   JOHN    F.    FRANCIS. 


enthusiasm  for  a  good  and  noble  cause,  discreet,  adroit  and 
considerate  of  the  judgments  and  feelings  of  his  fellow- 
men,  he  was  alike  a  spur  and  an  inspiration.  Where  he 
walked  there  was  always  sunshine ;  where  he  worked  there 
was  accomplishment ;  where  there  were  discouragements  he 
helped  with  a  stout  heart  to  discount  them  every  one. 

"  Upon    such     men    as    our    dead     citizen    is    the    hope    of 
humanity.     While  the  world  contains   such   characters  as  he 


"  Los  Angeles  will  miss  and  mourn  this  good,  kindly,  ten- 
der-hearted man,  for  his  kind  is  all  too  few  in  any  com- 
munity. That  his  sleep  will  be  sweet  and  his  final  reward 
sure,  let  no  one  question.  So  let  him  rest  among  the  roses 
and  lilies  of  the  Southland  that  he  loved  so  well,  and  let  those 
he  has  left  behind  not  mourn,  for  the  fragrance  of  his  gentle 
spirit  is  with  us  and  about  us,  and  will  remain  forever. 

"  A  tender  farewell,  good  friend,  brave  heart,  sweet  soul." 


62 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


JOHN    R.  HAYNES. 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA  is  one  of  the  world's  sana- 
toriums,  and  in  viewing  the  influence  of  its  reputation 
as  a  health  resort  on  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  Los 
Angeles,  the  casual  observer  is  likely  to  overlook  many  other 
sources  of  the  city's  supremacy.  Long  ago  the  fame  of  our 
climatic  and  scenic  attractions  overshadowed  that  of  our  min- 
ing and  commercial  interests,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that 
it  has  almost  eclipsed  the  fame  of  the  progressive  and 
enterprising  men  who  dominate  the  business  field  of  our  city. 
To  these  things,  not  less  than  to  the  wealth  of  natural 
resources  with  which  nature  has  endowed  this  section  of 
the  State,  Los  Angeles  owes  her  development;  and  it  is  the 
purpose  to  present  here  the  most  striking  examples  of  indi- 
vidual energy  afforded  by 
this  fertile  spot. 

John  R.  Haynes's  ances- 
tors on  his  mother's  side 
came  over  to  the  bleak  New 
England  shores  in  1635, 
fifteen  years  after  the  May- 
flower made  her  famous 
voyage.  The  old  homestead 
at  Ipwich,  Massachusetts,  is 
still  occupied  by  a  lineal 
descendant  of  the  same 
name. 

One  of  the  H  a  y  n  e  s' 
grandfathers  fought  in  the 
King  Philip's  war,  while  his 
great-grandfather,  at  six- 
teen years  of  age,  entered 
the  Revolutionary  Army,  in 
a  corps  commanded  by  his 
uncle,  Gen.  Fellows.  He 
was  later  on  the  staff  of  the 
commanding  general  in  the 
Black  Hawk  War,  and  in 
the  War  of  1812  was  com- 
missioned colonel,  though 
on  account  of  advanced 
years  he  never  served.  This 
reason  also  prevented  Dr. 
Haynes's  father  from  tak- 
ing an  active  part  in  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion, 
though  the  family  was  rep- 
resented by  three  uncles, 
one  of  whom  suffered  all 
the  horrors  of  Anderson- 
ville  Prison. 

John  R.  Haynes  is  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  having  made  his  debut  upon  life's 
stage  in  Philadelphia  in  1853.  He  was  reared  in  the  "  City 
of  Brotherly  Love,"  being  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  day,  and  later  completing  his  education  at  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  graduating  from  that  celebrated  institution 
of  learning  with  the  class  of  '74.  He  received  two  degrees, 
that  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy,  which  was  conferred  upon  him, 
and  later  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine. 

Immediately  upon  completing  his  studies  at  the  university, 
Dr.  Haynes  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  his 
native  city,  meeting  with  gratifying  success.  Too  close 


JOHN    R.    HAYNES. 


application  to  his  duties  finally  threatened  to  undermine  his 
health,  and,  accordingly,  in  1887,  he  was  compelled  to  relin- 
quish his  practice  in  the  East  and  seek  a  more  congenial 
climate.  The  same  year  found  him  establishing  himself  in 
Los  Angeles,  where  he  has  since  become  a  prominent  figure, 
not  alone  in  his  profession,  but  in  a  business  way,  through 
the  display  of  executive  ability  that  has  placed  him  upon  the 
directorate  of  many  of  the  most  successful  financial,  mining 
and  industrial  institutions  of  this  portion  of  the  State. 

From  his  youth  to  the  present  time  Dr.  Haynes  has  been 
an  earnest  friend  of  education ;  he  has  contributed,  from  time 
to  time,  valuable  articles  to  the  Southern  California  Medical 
Journal,  and  to  publications  of  a  similar  nature  in  the  East, 

and  his  opinion  is  highly 
esteemed  in  the  Los  Ange- 
les County,  the  California 
State,  the  American  and  the 
Southern  California  Medi- 
cal Associations,  to  all  of 
which  he  belongs.  Since 
opening  an  office  in  this 
city,  in  1887,  to  the  present 
time,  Dr.  Haynes  has  faith- 
fully discharged  the  duties 
devolving  upon  him.  He 
has  met  with  great  success, 
and  has  demonstrated  his 
faith  in  the  future  c  .  Los 
Angeles  by  making  exten- 
sive investments  in  both 
city  and  country  realty,  and 
his  present  holdings  repre- 
sent some  of  the  choicest 
business  and  resi  d  e  n  c  e 
property  in  the  city.  He 
has  done  more  than  buy  for 
speculation  —  he  has  im- 
proved his  property  and 
made  it  revenue-producing. 
Among  the  various  'con- 
cerns with  which  Dr. 
Haynes  is  identified  is  the 
American  National  Bank, 
of  which  he  is  a  director. 
This  institution,  capitalized 
with  a  million  dollars,  is  a 
most  conservative  and  sub- 
stantial financial  house.  The 
Conservative  Life  Insurance 
Company  claims  Dr.  Haynes 
as  one  of  its  directors,  and 
under  the  present  manage- 
ment this  young  financial  giant  is  making  rapid  progress  in 
an  entirely  new  field  of  insurance  work. 

The  undeveloped  mineral  resources  of  the  Southwest  have 
attracted  his  attention,  and  he  is  represented  upon  the  direc- 
torate of  the  Quartette  group  of  mines  in  Southeastern 
Nevada.  Dr.  Haynes  has  been  one  of  the  foremost  promoters 
of  the  oil  industry  in  the  State  since  its  inception.  He  is  a 
director  of  the  Simi  Crude  Oil  Company,  that  has  extensive 
holdings  in  the  Simi  Valley.  He  is  largely  interested  in  the 
Union  Oil  Company  and  many  others  operating  in  this 
section  of  the  State,  which,  through  his  liberal  support,  have 


MEN  OI-  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


63 


grown  and  developed.  This  brings  into  prominence  the 
generous  side  of  Dr.  Haynes's  nature,  and  it  commands  the 
admiration  of  the  character  student  no  less  than  that  element 
which  has  made  him  successful  as  a  financier  and  prominent 
in  his  profession.  He  is  not  a  man  of  ostentation.  What 
he  does  for  his  fellow-man  is  the  expression  of  generous 
and  noble  impulse,  and  is  done  as  inconspicuously  as  pos- 
sible. 

In    1897   Dr.   Haynes  and   a   number  of  the  leading  physi- 
cians and  surgeons  of  Los  Angeles  organized  the  California 


occupying  a  similar  position  in  the  California  Resort  and 
Health  Company,  popularly  known  as  "  Idyllwild,"  which 
occupies  a  beautifully-located  piece  of  land  among  the  pines 
of  the  San  Jacinto  range.  Both  of  these  enterprises  have 
been  remarkably  successful,  and  have  done  much  to  advance 
the  interests  of  Los  Angeles  as  a  health  and  pleasure  resort. 
Dr.  Haynes  is  a  California!!  in  the  sincerest  sense  of  the 
word.  He  devotes  his  energies  to  the  upbuilding  of  the 
State  that  has  restored  his  health  and  given  him  the  marked 
success  that  he  has  attained  in  both  business  and  profes- 


RESIDENCE    OF    DR.    JOHN    R.    HAYNES. 


Hospital  Association,  and  immediately  erected  the  handsome 
and   well-equipped    California   Hospital. 

Twice  since  its  inception  it  has  been  necessary  to  erect 
additional  buildings,  and  the  California  Hospital  now  has 
accommodations  for  several  hundred  patients,  and  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  being  one  of  the  best  appointed  and  most  modern 
institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  Dr.  Haynes  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  promoting  its  best  interests  since  its 
organization ;  he  is  a  director  of  the  institution,  besides 


sional  circles.  And  Los  Angeles  has  few  citizens  who  have 
done  more  for  the  general  weal  than  he  has.  Few  progressive 
or  moral  movements  inaugurated  in  recent  years  have  lacked 
his  support,  in  both  a  material  and  an  influential  sense ;  nor 
has  any  enterprise  to  which  he  has  given  his  consideration 
failed  of  success.  He  has  a  beautiful  home  in  one  of  the 
choicest  residence  sections  of  the  city,  famed  for  its  hand- 
some residences.  Socially,  Dr.  Haynes  is  no  less  prominent 
than  in  the  professional  or  business  realm. 


64 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


NILES   PEASE. 


THE    commercial    life   of   Los    Angeles    and   of    Southern 
California  has  been  quickened  by  the  best  talent  culled 
from  the  Eastern  business  channels;  and  to  have  made 
a  marked  success  in  commercial  ventures  in  the  midst  of  such 
talent  of  itself  speaks  volumes  for  one's  business  sagacity  and 


NILES    PEASE. 

foresight.  To  the  men  of  affairs  who  have  come  out  from  the 
practical,  methodical  East,  and  who  have  cast  their  lot  with 
this  city,  freely  using  their  means  in  giving  a  permanent  base 
to  the  city's  growth,  Los  Angeles  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude. 

In  the  coterie  of  men  whose  names  have  become  synony- 
mous with  the  business  life  and  larger  commercial  interests 
of  Los  Angeles,  is  Niles  Pease,  the  veteran  furniture  mer- 
chant. The  birthplace  of  Niles  Pease  was  near  Thompson- 
ville,  Connecticut;  the  date  was  October  13,  1838.  He  is 
the  grandson  of  Simeon  Pease,  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  The 
first  eighteen  years  of  Niles  Pease's  life  were  spent  in  his 
native  locality,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools.  He 
then  learned  the  tinsmith  trade,  and  later  he  opened  a  busi- 
ness establishment  in  his  native  town  for  the  manufacture 
of  tinware  and  the  sale  of  stoves  and  heating  fixtures. 

This  enterprise  grew  to  large  proportions,  and  in  connection 
with  the  store  Mr.  Pease  had  a  system  of  wagons  carrying 
supplies  over  routes  in  various  parts  of  the  State,  through 
which  his  outside  business  was  largely  built  up.  After  several 
years  a  line  of  furniture  was  added  to  the  establishment,  and 
this  proved  so  successful  that  eventually  it  was  made  the  main 
branch  of  the  Pease  concern.  For  almost  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury Niles  Pease  conducted  a  continuous  business  in  his  native 


town.  He  then  sold  his  interests  there  and  decided  to  cast 
his  lot  with  the  people  of  the  Pacific  Slope. 

Mr.  Pease  came  to  Los  Angeles  in  1884,  and  was  made  a 
member  of  the  Los  Angeles  Furniture  Company,  which  opened 
a  store  on  South  Spring  street.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a 
long  and  honorable  business  career  in  this  city.  The  follow- 
ing year  the  other  partners  in  the  company  sold  their  interests 
to  Mr.  Pease,  and  he  greatly  increased  the  extent  of  his 
establishment.  With  his  long  experience  and  keen  business 
foresight,  Mr.  Pease  commanded  a  growing  trade,  and  finally 
was  compelled  to  have  a  building  erected  especially  for  his 
own  use. 

This  building,  which  was  erected  by  L.  Harris,  at  No.  439 
South  Spring  street,  is  a  handsome  five-story  structure, 
arranged  especially  for  the  Niles  Pease  Company,  which  uses 
all  floors  for  the  display  of  its  large  stock.  In  September, 
1897,  the  Niles  Pease  Furniture  Company  was  incorporated. 
The  organization  included  Mr.  Pease  and  his  children.  The 
firm  holds  a  high  position  in  the  business  circles  of  Los 
Angeles,  and  has  built  up  a  business  which  extends  into  all 
parts  of  Southern  California  and  well  out  into  Arizona. 

Mr.  Pease  is  a  Thirty-second  Degree  Mason,  and  has  long 
been  prominent  in  that  order.  In  politics  he  affiliates  with  the 
Republican  party.  In  1876  he  was  elected  from  his  home 
district  in  Connecticut  as  representative  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture. He  has  always  maintained  a  lively  interest  in  public 
affairs,  and  has  been  a  generous  helper  for  many  worthy  local 
charities.  His  church  connection  is  with  the  Unitarian 
society,  and  he  has  served  as  a  trustee  of  this  church  for 
several  years. 

Mr.  Pease  has  been  interested  in  several  local  enterprises 
outside  of  his  extensive  furniture  business.  He  is  a  director 
of  the  Columbian  Savings  Bank ;  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Los  Angeles  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  president  for  the 
past  two  years  of  the  Merchants'  and  Manufacturers'  Associa- 


RESIDENCE    OF     NILES     PEASE. 

tion.  Ever  since  deciding  to  ally  himself  with  the  commercial 
interests  of  this  city,  Niles  Pease  has  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  the  city's  advancement,  and  has  added  the  force  of  a  solid, 
substantial  man  of  affairs  to  the  municipality's  growth. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


65 


E.  P.  CLARK. 


IN  CONTEMPLATING  the  wonderful  growth  of  Los 
Angeles,  and  the  causes  contributing  thereto,  it  were 
superficial  to  attribute  the  development  of  the  city  entirely 
to  the  climatic  conditions  with  which  a  beneficent  nature  has 
endowed  it,  though  that  feature  must  perforce  be  conceded 
as  a  necessary  element.  Hut  that  there  is  some  element  nec- 
essary to  co-operate  with  Nature  in  the  production  of  a  South- 
western metropolis  is  amply  evidenced  by  the  fact  that 
Nature  had  endowed  it  with  a  beauty  and  grandeur  which 
baffled  portrayal,  long  before  it  was  taken  advantage  of  by 
man.  Industry  and  enterprise,  administered  by  the  hand  of 
man.  have  brought  about  miraculous  changes  in  this  section 
of  the  State,  and  in  exploiting  the  advantages  of  Los  Angeles 
the  public  recognize  no  less  an  obligation  in  paying  fitting 
tribute  to  the  men  who 
have  supplemented  Nature  in 
the  distribution  of  her 
bounties,  than  in  proclaim- 
ing the  marvelous  record  it 
has  established  of  being  one 
of  the  most  progressive 
cities  of  the  world  today. 
Among  those  who  may  be 
properly  classed  under  this 
category,  few  have  contrib- 
uted in  a  more  generous  de- 
gree than  the  man  whose 
name  introduces  this  biog- 
raphy. 

Eli  P.  Clark  was  born 
near  Iowa  City,  Iowa,  No- 
vember 25,  1847.  At  that 
time  Iowa  was  "  way  out 
West  "  —  four-fifths  of  the 
State  was  vast,  uninhabited 
prairies,  rich  and  beautiful 
in  all  their  wildness.  We 
of  today  little  realize  what 
were  the  experiences  of 
those  who  lived  on  the 
western  frontier,  when  it  is 
remembered  that  it  was  not 
till  1858  that  the  first  rail- 
road to  cross  the  Mississippi 
River  was  the  Rock  Island 
and  Pacific,  at  Davenport, 
Iowa. 

In  1855  his  parents  moved  farther  west  to  Grinnell,  a  new 
town,  where  it  was  planned  to  have  the  best  educational 
advantages  in  the  State,  and  where  soon  Iowa  College  was 
established.  As  a  boy  he  grew  up  here  among  influences 
that  were  well  calculated  to  inspire  ambitions.  After  attend- 
ing the  public  schools  he  entered  the  college.  During  his 
college  days  he  taught  his  first  school  in  the  winter  of  his 
eighteenth  year,  and  attributes  the  greatest  lesson  of  his  life 
to  that  experience. 

Two  years  later  the  family  moved  to  Southwest  Missouri 
to  escape  the  rigors  of  the  severe  Iowa  winters.  Here  he 
engaged  with  his  father  in  farming,  in  the  winter  teaching 
school. 

In  the  spring  of  1875  he  left  his  home  in  company  with  a 
party  to  cross  the  plains  for  Arizona.  This  was  before  rail- 


ELJ   r.  CLARK 


roads  and  when  travel  was  fraught  with  danger  from  lawless 
bands  of  white  men  as  well  as  treacherous  Indians.  After 
many  thrilling  experiences,  during  a  three  months'  journey 
by  way  of  the  old  Santa  Fe  and  Fort  Wingate  trail,  the  party 
reached  Prescott  August  n. 

Almost  his  first  acquaintance  was  his  present  partner  and 
brother-in-law,  Moses  H.  Sherman,  who  was  principal  of  the 
Prescott  High  School,  the  first  public  school  organized  in  the 
Territory.  Mr.  Clark  first  engaged  in  merchandising  and 
was  acting  postmaster  for  nearly  a  year.  In  the  winter  of 
'77  and  '78  he  formed  the  partnership  of  Clark  &  Adams, 
dealers  in  and  manufacturers  of  lumber,  at  one  time  operat- 
ing three  sawmills  in  that  part  of  the  Territory  and  doing 
an  extensive  business  throughout  the  Territory. 

Mr.  Clark  has  been  all  his 
life  a  staunch  Republican. 
In  1877  he  was  chosen  Ter- 
ritorial Auditor,  succeeding 
himself  four  terms  and  fill- 
ing the  office  for  ten  years. 
It  was  during  these  years 
that  he  formed  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Gen.  Fremont  while 
he  was  Governor  of  Ari- 
zona, and  counts  the  ac- 
quaintance and  official  rela- 
tions with  Gen.  Fremont 
among  the  most  pleasant  of 
his  experience. 

By  Territorial  enactment 
he  became  ex-officio  State 
Assessor  and  made  special 
study  of  the  subject  of  as- 
sessment and  taxa  t  i  o  n. 
Many  of  his  recommenda- 
tions for  their  improvement 
are  now  the  law  of  the  land. 
In  1880  he  formed  his 
most  important  partnership 
when  on  April  8  of  that 
year  his  marriage  with 
Miss  Lucy  H.  Sherman 
was  celebrated ;  and  with 
their  family  of  three 
daughters  and  one  son  they 
have  a  large  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances 
in  this  city. 

Mr.  Clark  early  became  interested  in  the  matter  of  rail- 
road facilities  for  Arizona,  and  was  active  in  procuring 
favorable  legislation  to  encourage  the  building  of  a  road 
from  Prescott  to  Maricopa,  and  afterward  was  instrumental 
in  having  a  bill  passed  in  the  Legislature  of  1885  granting  a 
subsidy  of  $4000  per  mile  for  a  road  to  be  built  from  Pres- 
cott to  connect  with  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Railroad.  He 
helped  to  organize  the  first  company  and  became  its  first 
secretary  and  treasurer,  and  turned  the  organization  over  to 
Thos.  S.  Bullock,  who  financed  and  built  the  Prescott  and 
Arizona  Central  Railroad,  which  afterwards  gave  way  to  the 
Santa  Fe,  Prescott  and  Phcenix  Railroad,  one  of  the  best 
railroad  properties  in  the  West. 

In  1890  Gen.  M.  H.  Sherman,  his  brother-in-law,  while 
in  Los  Angeles  repeatedly  wrote  urgent  letters,  requesting 


66 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


him  to  join  him  in  Los  Angeles  and  engage  in  the  street 
railroad  business.  After  much  persuasion  he  consented,  and 
in  January,  1891,  arrived  in  Los  Angeles,  to  begin  the  inaug- 
uration of  the  present  street  railway  system.  To  them  belongs 
the  credit  of  having  given  to  Los  Angeles,  and  California  as 
well,  the  first  successful  electric  railway ;  even  at  that  com- 
paratively early  date,  when  Los  Angeles  was  a  town  of  not 
more  than  40,000  people,  these  men  in  the  face  of  much 
hostile  criticism,  as  well  as  active  opposition,  pushed  ahead, 
manifesting  a  faith  in  the  future  greatness  of  Los  Angeles, 
extending  their  city  lines  in  all  directions  to  their  present 
limits. 

In  1895  they  disposed  of  their  interests  in  the  local  street 
railway  lines  known  as  the  Huntington  lines,  and  devoted 
their  energies  to  interurban  lines,  building  and  equipping  the 
Pasadena  road.  The  year  following  Mr.  Clark  took  the  first 
steps  for  an  electric  line  to  Santa  Monica  by  securing  the 
property  of  the  old  steam  railroad  known  as  the  Los  Angeles 
and  Pacific  Railroad;  and  even  in  opposition  to  the  judgment 
and  wishes  of  his  partner  and  brother-in-law,  succeeded  in 
convincing  him  that  it  was  the  thing  to  do,  out  of  which  per- 
sistence, foresight  and  energy  has  grown  the  famous 
"  Balloon  Route,"  the  Los  Angeles-Pacific  Railroad  lines, 
covering  the  entire  section  of  the  county  west  and  southwest 
of  Los  Angeles,  from  Hollywood  to  Santa  Monica  Canon, 
furnishing  transportation  to  Santa  Monica,  Ocean  Park, 
Playa  del  Rey,  Hermosa  and  Redondo,  and  comprising 


upward  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  as  fine  an  electric  . 
railroad,  fraught  with  greater  possibilities,  than  can  be  found 
anywhere  in  the  United  States. 

It  is  freely  admitted  that  it  is  largely  due  to  his  untiring, 
persistent  and  never-give-up  characteristics  that  the  property 
is  what  it  is  today. 

The  direct  benefits  that  have  accrued  to  this  city  and  all 
points  reached  by  their  lines  are  so  many  and  so  well  known 
that  further  commendation  would  be  superfluous.  Towns 
have  sprung  up  where  before  their  lines  were  built  were  bar- 
ley fields  and  shifting  sand  dunes. 

In  presenting  the  biography  of  E.  P.  Clark  as  one  among 
the  men  who  may  be  said  to  have  made  Los  Angeles,  the 
writer  acts  advisedly,  for  this  city  furnishes  no  more  striking 
example  of  enterprise  and  energy  in  advancing  the  interests 
of  the  city  than  he;  but  it  is  not  alone  as  a  railroad  man  that 
Mr.  Clark  merits  recognition  in  these  pages,  for  he  has 
been  a  contributor  to  the  welfare  of  this  community  and  a 
factor  in  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  Southern  California 
throughout  his  residence  here.  He  has  contributed  to  the 
city's  advantages  as  a  tourist  resort  by  sparing  no  expense 
in  the  equipment  of  his  electric  Hues,  and  his  ready  response 
to  the  constantly  recurring  demands  upon  public  spirit  has 
marked  him  as  a  man  who  has  at  heart  the  weal  of  his 
adopted  home.  He  is  a  man  of  integrity  in  all  his  business 
relations,  and  the  confidence  he  inspires  is  the  reflection  of 
worthy  character. 


RESIDENCE   OF    HIRAM    HIGGINS   ON    WILSHIRE   BOULEVARD. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


67 


CHARLES  HENRY   FROST. 


LOS    ANGELES,    while    surrounded    by    the    advantages 
with  which  a  bountiful  nature  has  endowed  this  section, 
owes  much  of  its  growth  and  prosperity  to  the  indomi- 
table  pluck   and   tenacity   of   the   far-seeing   and   persevering 
men  of  business   and   finance   who   have   cast   their   lot   with 
the  city  and  invested  their  means  in  the  development  of  the 
industries    at    our    door.     The    city    claims    many    such,    and 
prominent   among   them    is    the    subject   of   this    sketch,   one 
of  the   city's   most   progressive   and   capable  business   men. 

A  native  of  New  York  State,  Mr.  Frost  first  saw  the  light 
of  day  in  historic  Ithaca,  the  present  seat  of  that  celebrated 
institution  of  learning,  Cornell  University.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen  his  parents  removed  to  the  newer  country  of  Illinois, 
where  young  Frost  was  educated  and  grew  to  manhood. 
Upon  reaching  man's  estate  he  engaged  in  business  in 
Chicago,  at  that  time,  1861,  a  city  of  less  than  250,000  pop- 
ulation. To  him  belongs  the 
distinction  of  having  erected  and 
operated  the  only  pressed-brick 
plant  ever  conducted  in  that 
city.  After  spending  twenty 
years  in  business  in  Chicago  and 
having  met  with  gratifying  suc- 
cess, he  became  attracted  to  the 
splendid  opportunities  for  in- 
vestment in  this  city,  and  ac- 
cordingly the  year  1886  found 
him  a  resident  of  Los  Angeles. 

Mr.  Frost  placed  the  utmost 
confidence  in  the  future -of  the 
city,  and  at  once  associated  him- 
self with  the  best  interests  of  his 
adopted  home.  Shcrt'y  after  his 
arrival  he  organized  the  Los  An 
geles  Pressed  Brick  Company, 
and  has  since  been  its  president 
and  manager.  With  rare  judg- 
ment he  secured  most  desirable 
locations,  and  a  year  ago  mover! 
to  the  corner  of  Date  and  Al- 
hambra  streets,  and  erected  a 
modern  plant.  The  product  was 
no  sooner  placed  on  the  market 
than  it  created  a  demand,  and  it 
scon  became  evident  that  the 
plant  would  have  to  be  material- 
ly enlarged  to  fill  advance  orders. 


CHARLES    HENRY   TROST. 


erty,  and  assays  of  the  clay  show  it  to  possess  those  elements 
which  are  so  essential  for  the  manufacture  of  a  superior 
grade  of  fire-brick.  This  flint  clay  "  mine "  is  one  of  less 
than  a  dozen  known  to  exist  in  this  country.  The  product 
of  the  plant  finds  a  ready  sale  as  far  south  as  Tucson, 
Arizona,  and  east  as  far  as  Ogden,  on  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad.  The  pressed  brick  made  by  this  company  is  not 
surpassed  in  the  United  States,  and  is  in  great  demand 
among  the  leading  architects,  contractors  and  builders  of 
this  city.  Its  popularity  is  based  upon  the  twofold  con- 
sideration of  quality  and  economy,  for  the  company  meets 
all  competitors  in  both  these  respects.  Among  the  prominent 
buildings  of  Los  Angeles  into  the  construction  of  which 
this  firm's  product  has  entered,  are  the  new  ten-story  Hunt- 
ington  Building,  which  is  the  largest  building  erected  west 
of  St.  Louis,  and  the  twelve-story  Trust  Building,  corner  of 

Fourth  and  Spring  streets ;  in 
fact,  this  firm  supplies  the 
pressed  brick  for  practi  c  a  1 1  y 
every  large  building  in  this  city. 
Mr.  Frost  capitalized  the  com- 
pany for  $250,000,  and  has  asso- 
ciated with  him  in  its  manage- 
ment such  well-known  financiers 
as  W.  C.  Patterson,  President 
of  the  Los  Angeles  National 
Bank;  I.  N.  Van  Nuys,  the 
multi-millionaire,  owner  of  the 
famous  hostelry  of  that  name ; 
Dr.  Henry  West  Hughes,  a 
wealthy  physician  of  this  city, 
together  with  Jas.  Trwin,  owner 
of  the  San  Joaquin  io6,ooo-acre 
ranch,  the  largest  ranch  in  South- 
rrn  California  today.  All  are  men 
of  substantial  character  and  re- 
sources, and,  with  the  other 
stockholders,  present  one  of  the 
strongest  associations  of  busi- 
ness talent  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Frost's  business  career, 
since  making  Los  Angeles  th'e 
base  of  operations,  has  been  one 
of  marked  success.  He  has 
manifested  a  discrimina  ting 
judgment  in  the  selection  of  real 
estate  and  associates,  and  his 


This  has  been  done  as  the  business  demanded  it,  until  today  holdings  in    this    city    and    Pasadena    number    some    of    the 
the  plant  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  complete  in  the  United  most   desirable   residence   and   business    properties    in    those 
States.     The   capacity   of   the   plant   is   about   6,000,000  brick  cities.     He  has  invested  his  funds  without  stint  in  realty  and 
a   year.    The   plant   covers    seventeen    acres    of    ground   and  other  forms  of  property,  and  in  1898  began  the  erection  of  the 
possesses   exceptionally   good   shipping    facilities,   with   spurs  Frost  Building,  the  most  imposing  business  block  erected  on 
from  both  the  Santa  Fe  and  the   Southern   Pacific  Railroads  Broadway  up  to  that  time,  and  excelled  by  few  in  the  city  at 
entering    its    yards      The     buildings    are    modern    and    the  this   date.     The   building   is   modern   throughout,  a   half- 
equipment    of    the    latest    type.     All    brick    is    fired    by    heat  reproduction    of    it   appearing   elsewhere    in   this   publication 
generated  from  oil,  and   from  sixty  to  seventy-five  men  are  A    handsome   olive   grove   of    115   acres,    situated   near 
furnished   constant    employment,    over    $1,000    a    week    being  Toro,  in   Orange  county,  is  the  property  of  Mr.   t 
distributed   in   wages   by   the   company.     It   is   interesting  to  he    has   been   prominent   in   the   organization   of   a   compar 
know    that    the    company    owns    1600   acres    of    land    in    an  through  which  the  growers  of  large  orchards  hope  to  market 
adjoining    county,    where    it    has    uncovered    and    is    mining  their    crops,    both    in    the    form    of    olive    oil,    and    cam 
a   superior  grade  of   non-plastic  flint   clay.     There   is   a  vein  or  pickled  olives,  for  which  there  is  such  a    ready    , 
over  3000  feet  in  length  and  40  feet  in  width  upon  the  prop-  both  locally  and  in  the  East. 


68 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


WILLIAM  HAYES   PERRY. 


HERE  follows  a  sketch   of  a  pioneer  of  pioneers.     Not 
many  of  the  American  settlers  of  Los  Angeles  date 
their  arrival  earlier  than  does  W.  H.   Perry.     There 
are  less  than  a  dozen  men  alive  today  who  were  here  when  he 
first  entered  the  city.     Indeed,  it  is  doubtful  if  there  are  half 
a  dozen  such. 

William  Hayes  Perry  was  born  in  Newark,  O.,  October  7, 
1832.  Here  he  obtained  such  schooling  as  was  possible  at  that 
early  date,  and  then  learned  the  cabinet-maker's  trade.  He 
had  not  yet  come  of  age  when  he  heard  the  wonderful  stories 
being  told  of  finding  gold  in  the  creeks  of  California.  He 
had  to  bide  his  time  a  bit,  but  as  soon  as  he  had  reached  his 
majority  and  found  it  right  to  choose  his  way  in  the  world, 
his  ambition  led  him  to 
take  the  overland  jour- 
ney and  set  his  face  to- 
ward the  new  Eldorado. 
This  was  in,  1853.  A 
party  of  fifty  men  and 
five  women  was  made  up 
at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa, 
to  cross  the  plains  to 
the  Pacific  Coast.  Among 
those  with  W.  H.  Perry 
was  the  late  Col.  Hollis- 
ter,  of  Santa  Barbara. 
The  path  lay  by  Salt 
Lake ;  thence  by  the 
southern  trail  to  San 
Bernardino  and  Los  An- 
geles. The  party  had  a 
pretty  large  band  of 
sheep,  cattle  and  horses, 
which  offered  a  constant 
temptation  to  the  In- 
dians of  the  plains,  who 
made  several  attacks  on 
the  party.  The  journey 
took  many  months,  and 
not  until  February,  1854, 
was  Los  Angeles 
reached.  Mr.  Perry  is 
today  one  of  the  most 
substantial  business  men 
of  Southern  California, 
but  he  does  not  hesitate 
to  say  that  he  reached 
Los  Angeles  not  only 
without  a  dollar,  but 
without  a  decent  suit  of 
clothes.  One  of  his  stories  of  early  days  is  the  way  he  ob- 
tained clothes  suitable  to  present  himself  in.  He  walked 
frankly  into  a  clothing  store,  where  he  did  not  know  a  soul, 
stated  his  case,  and  asked  for  a  suit  of  common  working 
clothes  on  credit.  The  storekeeper  must  have  been  very 
favorably  impressed  by  the  young  man,  for  he  not  only  fitted 
him  out  as  requested,  but  actually  pressed  on  him  a  second 
suit  of  better  clothes  for  Sundays  and  for  social  occasions. 
Thus  provided  for,  he  sought  employment,  and  soon  found  it 
at  his  trade.  He  worked  at  cabinet-making  for  a  year,  and 
then  securing  as  partner  an  acquaintance,  opened  the  first 
furniture  store  and  factory  in  the  town,  under  the  name  of 


Brady  &  Perry.  In  1858  Brady  died,  and  the  late  Wallace 
Woodworth  entered  the  firm,  which  for  twenty-five  years  was 
Perry,  Woodworth  &  Co.  The  original  business  o'f  the  firm 
was  making  and  selling  furniture.  It  was  progressive,  and 
more  than  kept  pace  with  the  growth  of  the  community.  This 
firm  imported,  set  up  and  set  in  motion  the  first  steam  engine 
ever  seen  in  Los  Angeles.  About  1865,  the  firm,  with  others, 
organized  a  company  to  manufacture  gas  for  the  little  city, 
and  this  was  a  paying  venture  for  years.  In  1873  the  furni- 
ture factory  was  expanded  into  a  lumber  yard  and  mill.  The 
location  was  on  Commercial  street,  running  back  to  Requena, 
where  the  modern  plant  stands  today.  On  the  death  of  Wal- 
lace Woodworth,  the  enterprise  was  incorporated  under  the 

style  of  the  W.  H.  Perry 
Lumber  and  Mill  Com- 
pany, and  so  it  stands  to- 
day. As  the  city  grew, 
the  plant  was  enlarged 
until  about  six  years 
ago,  when  a  disastrous 
fire  literally  destroyed  it. 
Perry  never  knew  defeat. 
The  fire  resulted  in  the 
installing  of  a  new  plant 
modern  in  all  respects, 
with  every  labor-saving 
device  known  in  the  mil! 
business  of  today.  The 
lumber  business  of  the 
corporation  at  the  pres- 
ent time  is  probably 
close  to  100,000.000  feet 
a  year. 

The  ramifications  of 
the  business  are  im- 
mense. It  is  not  merely 
a  lumber  yard  and  mill- 
ing concern.  The  W.  H. 
Perry  Mill  &  Lumber 
Co.  owns  its  own  timber 
lands  in  various  places 
on  the  Coast.  It  has  its 
own  logging  camps,  saw- 3 
mills,  vessels,  wharves, 
spur  tracks  to  the  rail-| 
roads,  and  handles  the 
lumber  from  the  tree  to 
the  structure  into  which 
the  finished  product 
goes. 

Mr.  Perry  also  organized  the  Los  Angeles  and  Humboldt 
Lumber  Company,  with  the  object  of  sending  lumber  to  all 
points  in  Arizona.  He  also  organized  the  Pioneer  Lumber 
and  Mill  Company  of  Colton,  near  Los  Angeles,  to  supply 
the  country  adjacent  to  that  point.  Another  corporation 
originated  and  controlled  by  him  is  the  Los  Angeles  Storage, 
Cement  and  Lumber  Company,  which  supplies  to  the  builders 
of  Los  Angeles  lime,  plaster,  fire-brick,  cement,  hair  and 
other  materials  used  on  buildings. 

In  1868  the  waters  of  the  Los  Angeles  River  had  been 
leased  to  a  company,  with  the  privilege  of  laying  pipes  in  the 
streets  of  the  city  and  supplying  water  to  the  citizens.  For 


I'KRRV. 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


69 


some  ten  years  this  company  did  not  make  any  great  headway, 
but  in  1879  Mr.  Perry  was  made  president  of  the  company, 
and,  putting  his  energy  into  this  company  with  other  enter- 
prises, applying  business  principles  to  the  management  and 
making  all  necessary  improvements  to  the  plant,  the  corpora- 
tion was  put  on  an  earning  basis,  which  increased  its  effi- 
ciency up  to  a  few  years  ago,  when  the  water  reverted  to  the 
city  at  the  end  of  the  term  of  the  lease.  Under  the  able  gen- 
eralship of  Mr.  Perry,  the  stockholders  retired  from  the 
water  company  very  rich  men. 

W.  H.  Perry  was  at  all  times  a  firm  believer  in  the  great 
future  that  lay  before  Los  Angeles.  From  time  to  time  he 
made  judicious  investments  in  real  estate  in  the  city,  and  is 
today  one  of  the  heaviest  taxpayers  in  Los  Angeles.  His 
real  estate  holdings  represent  a  good  many  liberal  slices  of 
the  choicest  business  property  in  the  city.  He  went  into  the 
Farmers  and  Merchants  Bank  at  an  early  date  in  its  history, 
and  has  been  through  all  its  years  of  progress  and  success 
one  of  the  substantial  shareholders  in  the  institution,  a  direc- 
tor of  its  affairs  most  of  the  time,  and  one  to  whose  mature 
and  sound  business  judgment  his  associates  always  lend  an 
attentive  ear.  When  his  friend,  I.  W.  Helhnan,  was  induced 
to  remove  to  San  Francisco  and  take  the  presidency  of  the 
Nevada  Bank  in  that  city,  Mr.  Perry  became  a  stockholder  in 
that,  and  also  in  the  Union  Trust  Comoany,  another  San 
Francisco  institution  under  Mr.  Hellman's  guidance.  In 
connection  with  the  water  company,  Mr.  Perry  organized  the 
Crystal  Sorinp's  Company,  to  develop  water  near  the  river 
•above  the  city.  A  fine  body  of  pure  water  was  secured  which 
added  greatly  to  the  domestic  supply  and  gave  the  people  a 
much  purer  article  than  was  the  surface  flow.  This  went  to 
the  city  with  the  transfer  of  the  water  plant. 


!For  fifty  years  there  have  been  few  important  enterprises 
and  little  development  in  Los  Angeles  with  which  Mr.  Perry's 
name  has  not  been  connected.  Perhaps  no  man  in  the  city 
has  been  shareholder  and  director,  vice-president  and  presi- 
dent in  so  many  corporations.  When  the  oil  industry  came 
into  being  he  was  among  the  first  to  lend  his  aid  in  its  devel- 
opment. The  Reed  Oil  Company,  the  Slocan  Oil  Company, 
the  Kern  Oil  Company  and  the  Western  Union  Oil  Com- 
pany have  all  felt  the  influence  of  his  backing. 

In  1858  W.  H.  Perry  married  Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Dalton, 
whose  immediate  family  and  their  relatives  were  pioneer  set- 
tlers in  Los  Angeles  city  and  county.  The  Daltons  left  their 
mark  on  the  history  of  the  section  in  many  ways.  Nearly 
half  a  century  has  passed  over  the  heads  of  the  youthful 
bride  and  bridegroom  of  iS^S.  They  have  been  most  event- 
ful years  to  them  and  to  Los  Angeles.  They  still  walk  side 
by  side  along  the  quiet  paths  where  the  shadows  of  life's 
evening  fall  gently  and  neacefully  around  them.  They  have 
two  children  living.  The  eldest  is  Mrs.  C.  M.  Wood,  who 
from  a  child  developed  remarkable  musical  talents.  Mr. 
Perry  sent  her  to  Italy,  and  at  Milan,  under  the  tuition  of  Sig. 
Giovanni,  one  of  the  most  noted  instructors  of  that  city,  her 
beautiful  voice  was  perfectly  developed.  Miss  Perry  made 
her  debut  in  Milan,  and  during  her  engagement  there  made 
a  most  favorable  impression  on  the  musical  world.  The 
other  child  is  Mrs.  E.  P.  Johnson,  Jr.,  of  this  city,  and  she, 
as  well  as  Mrs.  Wood,  has  a  most  interesting  family  growing 
up  around  her. 

The  home  of  Mrs.  Perry  and  those  cff  her  two  daughters 
are  important  factors  in  the  social  life  of  Los  Angeles.  High 
cultivation  and  the  kindliest  hospitality  lift  them  to  a  high 
position  among  the  refined  homes  of  Los  Angeles. 


RESIDENCE    OF    HERMAN     W.     HELLMAN. 


70 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


CHARLES   SILENT. 


THERE  is  an  element  of  character  in  some  men  which 
impels  them  to  success,  not  through  the  blunders  of 
fortune  or  the  possession  of  means,  but  through  the 
commanding  qualities — judgment,  perseverance,  industry.  Cali- 
fornia has  been  a  rich  field  of  opportunities  for  such  men, 
and  it  is  not  surprising  that  we  find  them  so  conspicuous 
among  the  successful  pioneers  who  have  attained  wealth  and 
prominence  in  the  development  of  the  Southwest.  Among 
those  who  may  be  enrolled  under  this  head,  Charles  Silent 
has  always  stood  high  and  prominent,  and  as  such 
is  no  less  worthy  of  presentation  than  as  one  among 
the  State's  most  energetic  and  progressive  men  of  affairs. 
A  native  of  Baden,  Charles 
Silent  made  his  debut  upon 
life's  stage  in  1843,  but  at 
five  years  of  age  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  this 
country,  where  the  family 
settled  at  Columbus,  Ohio. 
At  the  early  age  of  twelve 
it  was  necessary  for  the  lad 
to  assist  in  providing  for 
the  family,  and  his  oppor- 
tunities for  schooling  were 
limited  after  that  time.  The 
year  1856  marked  one  of  the 
greatest  influxes  of  immi- 
gration to  this  State  that 
had  ever  been  known,  and 
among  the  throng  that  bat- 
tled for  a  foothold  in  the 
young  commonwealth  was 
the  future  United  States 
Judge,  then  a  slender  lad  of 
thirteen.  The  journey  was 
made  by  way  of  Panama, 
and  San  Francisco  was 
reached  in  the  summer  of 
'56.  The  metropolis  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  did  not  prove 
so  attractive  to  the  boy  as 
the  mining  regions  of  Ama- 
dor  county,  and  thither  he 
wended  his  way  shortly 
after  his  arrival  in  the 
State. 

Having  early  dec  i  d  e  d 
upon  a  professional  career, 
he  worked  and  saved  with 
the  one  idea  of  obtaining 
the  wherewithal  to  complete  his  studies.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen  he  had  secured  a  teacher's  certificate,  and  for  the 
ensuing  three  years  devoted  his  time  to  teaching,  during  his 
spare  moments  diligently  studying,  and  saving  his  money  with 
a  view  of  going  to  college  before  completing  his  law  studies. 
In  1862  he  entered  the  sophomore  class  of  the  University  of 
the  Pacific,  at  Santa  Clara,  and  upon  leaving  the  university 
accepted  the  position  of  principal  of  the  Santa  Clara  public 
schools,  holding  the  same  until  1866.  While  teaching  school 
he  took  up  the  study  of  law,  and  after  completing  a  course 
of  reading  entered  the  law  office  of  S.  F.  &  J.  Reynolds,  in 
San  Francisco,  as  a  student.  He  returned  to  Santa  Clara 


CHARLES      SILENT 


and  was  appointed  one  of  the  Deputy  County  Clerks,  in  which 
position  he  familiarized  himself  with  pleading  and  practice, 
and  with  the  public  records  of  the  county.  In  1868  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  immediately  became  a  member  of 
the  law  firm  of  Moore  &  Laine,  one  of  the  leading  firms  of 
lawyers  of  San  Jose.  After  ten  years  of  successful  practice 
in  San  Jose,  Mr.  Silent  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Arizona.  In  1880,  after  having  filled 
the  position  for  two  years,  he  resigned  to  commence  practice 
at  the  bar  in  Tucson,  where  he  established  a  successful  and 
remunerative  clientele,  which  he  was  obliged  to  relinquish 
in  1883,  owing  to  failing  health.  After  two  years  spent  in 

travel  and  recreation,  Judge 
Silent  had  so  far  recuper- 
ated as  to  again  determine 
to  enter  the  legal  circles, 
and  selected  Los  Angeles  as 
his  home,  where  he  has 
since  resided  and  been  ac- 
corded a  prominent  place 
among  the  most  conspic- 
uous figures  at  the  bar. 

While  living  at  San  Jose 
he  was  ever  active  in  public 
affairs  which  tended  to  the 
upbuilding  of  the  commu- 
nity. He  was  the  originator 
and  became  one  of  the 
owners  of  the  street  rail- 
road between  San  Jose  and 
Santa  Clara,  which  was  one 
of  the  first  street  railroads 
constructed  south  of  San 
Francisco.  He  was  active 
in  matters  relating  to  the 
public  schools,  the  widening 
and  beautifying  of  the 
streets,  the  construction  of 
capacious  and  permanent 
sewers,  the  establishment 
and  construction  of  the 
State  Normal  School,  the 
first  in  the  State.  He  de- 
vised the  plan  and  secured 
the  passage  of  a  law  by 
which  the  city  of  San  Jose 
constructed  a  beautiful  drive 
a  distance  of  six  miles  to 
its  great  public  park.  He 
was  the  head  of  a  corpora- 
tion, which,  under  his  supervision,  constructed  the  railroad 
from  Santa  Cruz  along  the  San  Lorenzo  River  to  the  town 
of  Felton,  which  is  now  a  part  of  the  railroad  running  from 
Santa  Cruz  across  the  mountains  to  Oakland.  It  was  through 
his  foresight  that  the  Santa  Cruz  Mammoth  Trees,  which  lie 
along  this  road,  were  saved  from  the  sawmill  and  were  pre- 
served as  a  pleasure  resort. 

Since  removing  to  Los  Angeles  he  has  been  identified  with 
the  best  interests  of  his  adopted  home.  He  has  long  been 
a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  has  taken  a 
keen  and  active  interest  in  the  proceedings  of  that  organiza- 
tion. When,  in  1897,  many  unemployed  men  roamed  the 


MEN  Or  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   7777:  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


71 


streets  seeking  work,  .he  organized  a  movement  through  the 
Merchants'  and  Manufacturers'  Association  looking  to  their 
r.  lief,  and  through  his  strenuous  efforts  a  large  sum  was 
raised  to  furnish  them  with  employment  in  beautifying  the 
entrance  to  one  of  the  city's  show  places,  Elysian  Park.  The 
Merchants'  and  Manufacturers'  Association,  in  recognition  of 
his  good  work  in  this  connection,  made  him  an  honorary  life 
member. 

Aside  from  a  most  remunerative  law  practice.  Judge  Silent 
has  evidenced  a  business  ability  that  has  redounded  to  the 
immediate  benefit  of  the  city  and  State,  as  well  as  to  his  own 
private  fortune.  In  laying  out  Chester  Place,  he  gave  to  the 
city  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  beautiful  residence  tracts 


influence  of  Judge  Silent  could  have  avoided  drifting  into 
politics.  Few  men  similarly  situated  would  have  withstood 
the  temptation,  but  if  political  honors  were  a  temptation  to 
Mr.  Silent,  we  cannot  say.  Certain  it  is  that  there  have 
been  times  in  recent  years  that  he  might  have  accepted 
preference  in  the  political  realms  with  the  warm  sup- 
port of  his  fellow-citizens,  regardless  of  party  affiliation. 
Whatever  his  estimate  of  their  value,  he  has  not  permitted 
political  possibilities  to  deflect  him  from  his  chosen  sphere 
of  usefulness.  From  this  it  must  not  be  inferred  that  he 
takes  no  interest  in  politics,  for,  on  the  contrary,  he  is  a 
staunch  Republican,  and  an  able  defender  of  the  tenets  of 
his  party. 


RESIDENCE    or    CHARLES    SILENT,    CHESTER    PLACE. 


in  the  city.  Here  he  has  his  home,  and  the  accompanying 
illustration  will  show  its  many  architectural  features  in  detail. 
Judge  Silent  is  identified  with  numerous  enterprises,  that  but 
for  his  liberal  aid  would  never  have  been  inaugurated,  or,  at 
best,  would  have  proved  failures.  This  brings  into  promi- 
nence the  generous  side  of  his  nature,  and  it  commands  the 
admiration  of  the  character  student  no  less  than  the  element 
which  has  made  him  eminent  as  a  jurist.  He  is  net  the  type 
of  man  to  court  or  brook  ostentation. 

It  has  been  marveled  that  a  man  possessing  the  wealth  and 


America  boasts  no  titled  aristocracy.  Her  nobility  are  self- 
made  men,  whose  careers  emblazon  the  pathway  to  success, 
whose  achievements  are  a  stimulus  to  incentive,  and  emulation 
of  whom  is  the  sesame  to  fortune.  Scores  of  names  are 
inscribed  upon  California's  scroll  of  fame,  and  few  are  better 
entitled  to  the  distinction  than  the  pioneers  of  the  early 
'So's.  In  many  respects  the  career  of  Charles  Silent  may 
well  point  the  road  to  success  to  the  coming  generations 
of  young  men. 


72 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


JOHN  PERCIVAL  JONES. 


THE   following   sketch   brilliantly   illustrates   two   things : 
the   supreme   value   of   personal   character   and   native 
ability,   and   the   equal   opportunity   every   man   enjoys 
under   American   institutions   to   achieve   success   whether  he 
be  rich  or  poor,  or  whether  or  not  he  has  powerful   family 
ties  and  personal  friends  to  aid  him  in  his  career.     The  life 
here    portrayed    shows   that   a   man    of    ability    and    steady 
purpose  may  reach  the  highest  round  on  the  ladder  of  fame 
with   no   support    to   rest   upon    outside    his   own   God-given 
powers  and  unwavering  efforts. 

January  27,  1829,  there  was  born  in  a  small  village,  The 
Hay,  in  Herefordshire,  England,  a  male  child.  There  was 
little  in  the  birth  to  in- 
dicate any  promise  of  an 
unusual  career.  It  was  a 
birth  not  to  exalted  station, 
and  whatever  family  influ- 
ence or  the  aids  derived 
from  personal  friendship 
might  avail  the  child  in 
later  years  was  taken  away 
by  the  removal  of  the  fam- 
ily to  a  distant  land  before 
the  boy  had  reached  the 
end  of  his  first  year.  But 
he  came  of  the  sturdy  stock 
of  the  borderland  between 
England  and  Wales,  where 
sturdy  stock  grows.  The 
family  name,  Jones,  indi- 
cates a  strong  strain  of 
the  ancient  blood  of  the 
Britains,  Celts,  Scots  or 
Cambrians  who  inhabited 
the  British  Isles  before 
Ceaser,  Horsa,  Karaite  or 
any  soul  of  other  race  set 
foot  upon  the  soil. 

The  child  was  named 
John  Percival  Jones,  and 
while  still  an  infant  in  arms 
was  transplanted  to  Amer- 
ica, the  family  settling  in 
Ohio,  near  Cleveland.  It 
was  a  rude  community  there 
and  a  hard  life  seventy-five 
years  ago.  Opportunities 
were  not  as  now  to  gain 
knowledge  of  books  or  of 
life  save  in  its  less  devel- 
oped conditions.  But  the 
desire  for  knowledge  was  a  burning  one  in  the  race  of 
which  this  child  came.  In  early  youth  he  had  all  the 
advantages  the  glorious  public  schools  of  the  United  States 
afforded  to  all  the  children  who  grow  up  beneath  the  flag, 
no  matter  how  remote  from  great  cities  the  home  may  be, 
or  how  straitened  circumstances  may  be  around  the 
hearthstone.  Twenty  years  had  not  passed  over  the  boy's 
young  head  when  the  story  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia reached  his  ears,  as  he  performed  his  duties  in  a 
Cleveland  bank.  The  fact  that  he  had  found  employment  in 
a  bank  indicates  that  he  began  to  aspire  at  an  early  age,  and 
that  the  aim  of  his  ambition  was  high.  But  the  tale  of  gold 
in  mill  sluices  on  the  Pacific  Coast  instead  of  in  bank  trays 


JOHN     PERCIVAL     JONES. 


as  in  Cleveland  excited  the  attention  of  young  Jones  as  it 
did  that  of  thousands  of  other  venturesome  and  resolute  souls. 
But  the  gold  in  the  bank  trays  did  not  belong  to  the  boy, 
and  he  had  not  a  fortune  in  his  pockets.  To  reach  the 
mountain  streams  of  California  where  the  gold  lay  free  for 
anyone  to  take  who  had  the  hardihood  to  bear  fatigue  and 
hunger  was  a  long  and  costly  journey,  beset  with  many 
perils.  The  young  bank  clerk  was  not  to  be  deterred  by 
dangers  nor  held  back  by  difficulties,  however  great.  He  and 
others  of  the  same  stamp  procured  at  Cleveland  a  small  bark, 
the  Eureka,  and  set  sail  on  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie,  passed 
out  the  Welland  Canal,  down  the  St.  Lawrence  River  into 

the  broad  and  stormy 
North  Atlantic.  After  many 
months  of  battling  with  the 
waters  through  countless 
hardships,  including  ship- 
wreck and  exposure  to  the 
elements  on  sea  and  land, 
stormy  Cape  Horn  was 
rounded  in  ice-bound  mid- 
winter, and  in  undue  time, 
for  they  were  long  on  the 
way,  the  young  argonauts 
cast  anchor  in  the  Bay  of 
San  Francisco.  Jones  did 
not  linger  among  the  pit- 
falls of  the  little  town,  but 
hastened  away  to  the  mines 
in  the  northern  Sierras. 
This  was  in  the  spring  of 
1850.  But  "  gold  is  where 
it  is  found  "  was  a  discov- 
ery .made  by  the  young 
miner,  and  it  is  not  in 
every  stream  nor  on  every 
hillside.  For  years  a  hard 
struggle  was  maintained  in 
a  search  for  the  coveted 
treasure  that  would  have 
proved  hopeless  to  a  less 
resolute  spirit.  Nor  were 
the  young  miner's  aims  all 
for  self.  The  interests  of 
the  community  had  a  prom- 
inent place  in  his  mind.  In 
those  rough  davs  the  office 
of  sheriff  in  a  mining  com- 
munity was  not  a  sinecure, 
but  John  P.  Jones  was 
sought  by  the  citizens  of 
Trinity  county  to  perform  the  strenuous  duties  of  the  office, 
and  he  performed  them  well.  In  another  portion  of  the 
State  his  services  on  behalf  of  the  public  were  sought  and 
he  went  to  Sacramento  as  a  member  of  the  Legislature. 
There  were  "bad  men"  in  the  mining  camps  of  the  white 
men,  and  troublesome  and  dangerous  Indians  in  the  moun- 
tain fastnesses.  Many  a  hard  experience  Jones  had  with 
these  elements,  as  had  every  honest,  law-abiding  citizen  of 
the  new  State  into  which  80,000  people,  mostly  men,  all 
strangers  one  to  another,  nearly  all  without  family  ties,  and 
from  all  nations  on  earth,  and  all  ranks  of  society,  poured 
in  a  few  months. 

Seventeen  years   of   this   life   full   of   trials,   toils,   dangers, 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


73 


disappointments  passed,  and  the  young  head  hegan  to  be  less 
glossy,  less  full  of  the  glorious  locks  of  youth.  John  P. 
Jones  was  now  thirty-eight  years  old,  in  the  prime  of  life, 
ripe  in  various  experiences  of  the  most  varied  character,  but 
far  from  a  millionaire.  The  news  of  the  discovery  of  the 
great  Comstock  Lode  in  Nevada  floated  over  the  Sierras,  and 
Jones  sought  there  new  fields  of  adventure  at  an  early  date 
in  their  history.  Fortune  seemed  to  have  decided  to  smile 
more  favorably  on  the  persistent  spirit  which  wrestled  with 
the  fickle  goddess  as  Jacob  did  with  the  angel  and  would 
not  let  go  until  he  attained  the  coveted  blessing.  Senator 
Jones  is  not  given  to  talking  freely  about  what  he  has  had  or 
has  of  this  world's  goods,  but  those  who  are  conversant  with 
the  history  of  the  Pacific  Coast  know  that  he  has  made  half 
a  dozen  large  fortunes  in  his  day.  But  John  P.  Jones  is 
not  the  kind  of  man  to  hold  onto  money  like  a  pawnbroker. 
He  has  never  passed  as  a  professional  philanthropist,  but  he 
has  been  a  practical  one.  He  has  realized  that  money  has 


most  skillful  parliamentarian  in  the  Senate.  His  part  in 
the  debates  on  the  tariff  discussion  is  a  memorable  one,  and 
there  was  probably  no  other  Senator  more  respected  by  the 
Free  Traders  than  he.  For  Jones  to  cast  his  gauntlet  down 
in  the  Senate  caused  dismay  among  the  ablest  men  in  the 
Democratic  ranks.  He  was  not  an  orator  in  the  usual 
acceptation  of  the  term,  but  he  was  surcharged  with  facts 
which  he  arrayed  with  masterly  skill  and  consummate  force 
in  so  practical  a  manner  as  to  make  successful  contention 
impossible.  He  carried  conviction  to  the  minds  of  his 
hearers.  The  injection  of  the  Free  Silver  discussion  into 
politics  in  1896  caused  Senator  Jones  to  break  with  his  old- 
time  party  alliances  and  join  the  hosts  of  his  former  political 
antagonists.  Republicans  who  arraign  Senator  Jones  for  this 
would  do  well  to  remember  that  he  was  a  Free  Silver 
advocate  before  it  became  a  party  measure,  when  many  others 
on  his  side  of  the  Senate  leaned  the  same  way. 

Senator  Jones  was  from  a  great  silver  State,  although  his 


RESIDENCE   01'   SENATOR  JOHN    P.  JONES   AT   SANTA    MONICA,  CAL. 


little  good  unless,  like  the  mountain  stream  in  vigorous  mo- 
tion to  bless  the  valley  below,  refreshing  it  in  every  way, 
it  is  put  to  some  good  use  where  men  may  enjoy  its  blessings. 

In  1860  Mr.  Jones  and  Col.  R.  S.  Baker  came  into  pos- 
session of  the  San  Vincente  Rancho  at  Santa  Monica.  A 
good  wharf  was  constructed  there  soon  after  and  a  railroad 
begun  to  pass  through  Los  Angeles  to  Salt  Lake.  The  Jay 
Cook  failure  a  few  years  after  brought  this  great  public  enter- 
prise to  an  end,  and  Senator  Jones  lost  a  large  sum  in  the  col- 
lapses that  followed.  But  the  loss  of  a  fortune  meant  little  to 
so  capable  and  energetic  a  man.  He  made  another  before  long. 

The  title  used  above,  "  Senator,"  may  seem  premature  in 
this  case,  but  it  is  scarcely  so.  In  1873  the  people  of  Nevada 
sent  John  P.  Jones  to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  he  has 
worn  the  toga  continuously  from  that  time  to  a  year  ago. 
He  sat  in  the  august  body,  the  Senate  of  the  United  States, 
for  thirty  years,  rivaling  the  career  of  Thomas  H.  Benton 
of  Missouri  in  older  days.  In  politics  Senator  Jones  was  a 
Republican  and  was  one  of  the  most  powerful  debaters  and 


own  interests  were  wrapped  up  in  gold  mines  to  a  large 
extent.  It  js  not  intended  here  to  convey  the  idea  that  self- 
interest  led  him  to  espouse  a  cause.  But  we  should  not  for- 
get that  our  opinions  are  influenced  by  our  environment  in 
spite  of  all  we  can  do  to  guard  against  that  influence. 

In  business  one  of  Senator  Jones'  more  great  enterprises 
has  been  with  two  or  three  others,  to  make  the  first  opening 
of  the  great  Treadwell  mines  in  Alaska. 

Now  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  seventy-five  Senator  Jones 
enjoys  a  well-earned  retirement  from  the  turmoil  of  political 
life.  His  distinguished  career  is  a  full  justification  of  Amer- 
ican institutions.  Without  an  elaborate  education,  by  native 
talent  and  personal  effort  he  was  able  to  develop  into  a  states- 
man of  the  first  rank;  a  most  effective  parliamentary  debater 
and  a  recognized  authority  on  economic  subjects.  Without 
family  or  friendship  except  such  as  his  own  qualities  of 
character  secured,  he  rose  to  the  highest  political  honor  in 
the  country  excepting  the  Presidency,  for  which  he  is 
debarred  by  birth. 


74 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


THOMAS   R.  BARD. 


THOMAS  ROBERT  BARD  was  born  at  Chambersburg, 
Pa.,  December  8,  1842,  his  parents  being  Robert  M. 
Bard  and  Elizabeth  Little  Bard  of  that  place.  The 
boy  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town 
and  in  the  Chambersburg  Academy,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He 
then  took  a  course  in  law  with  a  firm  in  his  home  town.  He 
did  not,  however,  follow  the  practice  of  his  profession,  but  in 
1861  was  appointed  transportation  agent  of  the  Cumberland 
Valley  Railroad,  with  headquarters  at  Hagerstown,  Md.  This 
was  the  year  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  and  young 
Bard  was  right  in  the 
storm  center  of  the 
eventful  struggle  in 
this  border  State.  He 
came  from  sturdy 
North  of  Ireland  stock, 
and  did  not  hesitate  for 
a  moment  as  to  his 
course.  His  moral  na- 
ture and  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility had  been 
too  well  developed  at 
the  knee  of  his  relig- 
ious parents  to  permit 
him,  young  though  he 
was,  to  flinch  from 
duty.  He  was  a  staunch 
and  openly-decl  a  r  e  d 
Union  man,  in  the 
midst  of  an  excited 
population  torn  in  two 
by  the  conflicting  pas- 
sions of  the  strife. 

In  1864  Thomas  R. 
Bard  was  selected  by 
the  late  Col.  Thomas 
A.  Scott  to  send  to 
California  to  look  after 
his  many  land  interests 
in  this  section.  Here 
has  been  his  home  ever 
since.  It  was  not  his 
first  visit  to  the  Pa- 
cific Coast,  for  he  had 
previous  to  this  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  B. 
Gerberding,  of  San 
Francisco,  whose  father 
was  heavily  interested 
in  lands  in  Ventura 
county. 

For  forty  years  Mr.  Bard  has  been  a  very  prominent  figure 
in  'all  that  was  done  to  develop  that  part  of  the  State.  In 
the  early  days  he  was  active  in  sheep  raising  and  wool 
production.  This  naturally  led  to  the  building  of  wharves 
and  warehouses  at  Hueneme,  which  largely  owes  its  existence 
and  growth  to  Mr.  Bard's  enterprising  methods  of  business. 
And  the  natural  concomitant  of  the  development  of  Hueneme 
and  Ventura  was  the  banking  business,  and  in  the  organizing 
of  substantial  and  conservative  banks  he  was  most  active. 

Soon  after  the  advent  of  Thomas  R.   Bard  into  the  State, 


there  were  efforts  to  develop  the  oil  deposits  thought  to  exist 
near  Santa  Barbara.  These  efforts  proved  futile.  But  before 
1880  the  Pacific  Coast  Oil  Company,  operating  in  Pico  Canon 
near  Newhall,  succeeded  in  finding  oil  at  that  place.  Later 
work  was  begun  in  the  Puente  field,  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Los  Angeles  county,  and  with  encouraging  results.  This 
success  gave  great  impetus  to  an  industry  now  so  flourishing, 
which  has  been  of  so  great  importance  to  Southern  California. 
Work  was  begun  in  Ventura  county  soon  after  1880,  and  a 
year  or  two  later  Lyman  Stewart  and  others  organized  the 
Sespe  Oil  Company,  to  operate  in  the  canon  of  that  name 

in  the  mountains  of 
Ventura  county.  Mr. 
Bard  and  Mr.  Stewart 
were  friend's  a  n  d 
neighbors,  with  confi- 
dence in  each  other, 
and  Mr.  Bard  at  once 
joined  his  friend  in 
this  important  enter- 
prise. It  called  for 
supreme  courage  to  go 
on  with  this  work  and 
achieve  success.  The 
ground  was  difficult  to 
bore  in,  and  the  wells 
had  to  be  sunk  as  low 
as  2700  feet  to  reach 
the  oil.  In  1886  the 
same  operators,  Mr. 
Bard  one  of  them,  un- 
dertook similar  "work 
in  Torrey  Canon  and 
with  similar  success. 
By  this  time  the  nil 
business  had  become 
very  important,  and  the 
promise  for  the  future 
was  bright.  The  Mis- 
sion Transfer  Com- 
pany was  bought  out 
by  the  Sespe  and  Tor- 
rey Cation  Company  to 
convey  the  oil  from 
the  wells  to  tide  wa- 
ter. It  was  now 
thought  well  to  reor- 
ganize the  (three  com- 
panies into  one,  to  be 
known  as  the  Union 
Oil  Company,  to  take 
over  the  business  of 
the  others.  In  all  the  development  of  the  oil  industry  in 
California  the  Union  Oil  Company  has  played  an  important 
part.  A  pipe  line  was  built  to  Hueneme  and  a  tank  steamer 
constructed  to  carry  the  oil  to  the  refinery  near  San  Fran- 
cisco. Attention  was  turned  to  the  by-products  of  petroleum, 
and  the  Union  Oil  Company,  at  great  cost  and  with  much 
patience  in  the  face  of  partial  failure  sure  to  be  met  in  such 
enterprises,  secured  the  services  of  Dr.  Salathiel,  a  Swiss 
chemist,  put  in  a  plant  at  Santa  Paula  and  conducted  careful 
experiments,  out  of  which  came  very  important  discoveries. 


THOMAS    R.    BARD. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


75 


Mr.  Bard  gave  liberally  of  his  means  and  time  to  these  experi- 
mental investigations,  as  he  had  to  the  work  of  uncovering 
the  oil  sands  in  the  canons,  being  a  large  stockholder  and 
efficient  director  in  the  Union  Oil  Company  during  these 
years. 

Thomas  R.  Bard  has  been  an  ardent  and  consistent  Repub- 
lican at  all  times  since  his  early  years  during  war  times  in 
Maryland.  He  never  sought  office  for  himself,  but  all  polit- 
ical honors  have  sought  him,  not  he  them.  He  was  always 
content  to  be  a  faithful,  hard-working  private  in  the  ranks. 
In  1892  he  was  one  of  the  electors  on  the  Republican  Presi- 
dential ticket,  and  while,  in  that  year,  so  memorable  in  na- 
tional politics,  the  State  went  Democratic,  Mr.  Bard  reached 
the  remarkable  distinction  of  being  the  exception  to  the  rule, 
and  was  the  only  Republican  elector  chosen  by  the  people.  It 
is  not  often  that  any  man's  popularity  with  the  people  carries 
him  so  far  ahead  of  his  colleague.*  in  a  national  election. 

In  IQCO.  when  the  California  Legislature  met  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, a  peculiar  condition  existed.  The  war  with  Spain  had 
been  fought  and  won.  President  McKinley's  administration 
had  been  very  satisfactory  to  the  people,  nowhere  more  so 
than  in  California.  Few  thoughtful,  intelligent  people  of 
the  State  desired  a  change  in  the  national  administration. 
The  Legislature  was  largely  Republican  in  both  houses,  and 
the  successor  to  United  States  Senator  Stephen  M.  White 


was  sure  to  be  a  Republican.  Powerful  influences  had  been 
put  forth  to  secure  a  Legislature  favorable  to  a  certain  citizen 
of  the  State.  This  citizen  was  bitterly  opposed  by  a  large 
portion  of  the  party,  and  it  may  be  said  the  better,  more 
patriotic  majority  of  the  Republican  voters.  Democratic 
politicians  were  very  generally  on  the  side  of  this  candidate. 
A  protracted  conflict  took  place,  and  several  candidates 
entered  the  lists  in  hopes  of  winning  the  greatly-coveted  prize. 
Thomas  R.  Bard  remained  at  his  home  in  Ventura  county, 
attending  to  his  many  absorbing  business  interests  connected 
with  his  great  ranch,  and  probably  thinking  less  of  being 
United  States  Senator  than  of  any  other  possible  event.  But 
his  name  was  known  to  all  the  members  of  the  Legislature; 
his  integrity  was  a  thing  beyond  dispute  or  question.  When 
the  Legislature  became  weary  of  the  prolonged  contest,  it 
was  a  great  relief  to  the  people  of  California,  and  in  no  sense 
a  surprise,  that  they  should  turn  to  the  successful  Ventura 
business  man,  and  by  a  unanimous  vote  elected  Thomas 
Robert  Bard  to  the  high  office  he  now  occupies. 

Senator  Bard  has  worn  the  toga  with  dignity  during  the 
three  years  since  then.  He  has  won  an  enviable  distinction 
as  a  member  of  that  august  body  composed  of  men  of  over- 
towering  ability  and  influence.  So  well  has  Senator  Bard 
borne  himself  that  he  has  won  the  esteem  and  enthusiastic 
applause  of  his  constituents. 


AN    ARTISTIC    LOS    ANGELES    HOME. 


76 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


M.  H.  SHERMAN. 


1  HE  schoolmaster  is  abroad,"  said  Lord  John  Russell, 
more  than  fifty  years  ago.     He  has  been  very  much 
abroad  in  all  the  years  that  have  passed  since  then. 
He   is   abroad   today   more   than   ever  before.     Nor   is    there 
any  sane  and  intelligent  man  who  will  question  the  statement 


that  the  world  has  been  very  greatly  the  gainer  by  the  pres-       door. 


of  a  schoolmaster  should  be  a  motive  for  rejoicing  to  all  of 
us  who  have  been  so  greatly  benefited  by  the  high  and  un- 
selfish labors  of  the  guild.  This  little  sketch  is  to  tell  of  the 
successes  achieved  by  a  schoolmaster  in  high  and  arduous 
paths  that  have  led  his  footsteps  far  from  the  schoolhouse 


'NVKH3HS    -H 


'N30 


ence  of  the  schoolmaster  in  all  the  best  and  most  progressive 
portions  of  this  old  world  of  ours.  Life  has  been  sweetest 
and  its  joys  brightest  wherever  the  influences  of  the  school 
have  been  felt  most.  The  recognition  of  a  schoolmaster's 
merits  and  any  good  luck  or  success  that  may  fall  to  the  lot 


Moses  H.  Sherman  was  born  in  the  town  of  West  Rupert, 
in  Bennington  county,  Vermont,  in  1854,  Jlls'  'la'f  a  century 
ago.  He  was  of  sturdy,  thrifty,  prosperous  New  England 
stock.  His  father  had  the  New  England  idea  of  the  great 
value  of  a  liberal  education  deeply  rooted  in  his  convictions. 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


77 


The  boy  had  about  as  good  educational  advantages  as  "the 
day  afforded.  He  made  good  use  of  his  opportunities.  His 
school  course  finished,  he  went  to  Western  New  York  and 
engaged  in  the  business  of  teaching  school  and  giving  to 
other  boys  the  advantages  he  had  enjoyed.  He  made  so  good 
a  record  as  an  educator  that  when  A.  P.  K.  Stafford  was 
appointed  Governor  of  Arizona  and  found  the  school  system 
of  the  Territory  in  rather  a  chaotic  condition,  and  cast  about 
for  a  man  capable  of  organizing  a  thoroughly  modern  sys- 
tem of  public  instruction  for  the  Territory,  the  name  of 
Moses  H.  Sherman  came  to  his  ears  as  that  of  the  most  likely 
man  to  perform  this  hard  task.  He  was  just  past  twenty, 
little  more  than  a  boy,  but  a  Yankee  boy  with  a  clear  mind 
and  much  pluck.  So  the  early  '70'$  saw  Prof.  Sherman  duly 
installed  at  Prescott.  the  capital  of  Arizona,  polishing  the 
young  and  sometimes  rough  elements  of  frontier  society  into 
intelligent  and  upright  American  citizens.  Then  came  Gen, 
John  C.  Fremont  as  Governor  of  the  Territory,  and  he  saw 
Sherman  was  too  bright  and  competent  a  man  to  confine 
within  the  narrow  limits  of  one  school  or  one  town;  so  he 
made  him  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  in  order  that 
he  might  devote  his  time  and  talents  to  the  work  of  evolving 
a  system  of  school  work  for  Arizona.  When  his  term  of 
appointment  expired,  the  people  elected  him  to  another  term 
in  the  office.  During  the  next  few  years  Prof.  Sherman  went 
over  the  whole  Territory,  organized  a  complete  school  sys- 
tem, from  the  primary  school  to  the  university  course,  and  all 
on  so  broad,  firm  and  modern  a  basis,  that  the  system  remains 
today  practically  what  he  made  it  nearly  thirty  years  ago.  It 
was  hard  work,  and  its  completion  found  Sherman  tired  out. 
He  determined  that  as  his  work  in  this  line  was  done,  to 
give  up  school  teaching  for  good. 

So  Moses  H.  Sherman  came  down  to  Phoenix,  which  had 
come  to  be  the  largest  city  in  Arizona,  and  there  he  organ- 
ized the  Val'ey  Bank  of  that  place.  He  was  thoroughly  well 
known  to  all  the  substantial  oeople  of  the  Territory,  and  he 
had  gained  the  confidence  of  these  men  without  exception. 
Capital  to  organize  the  new  institution  was  easily  raised,  and 
Sherman  was  elected  president,  an  office  which  he  held  during 
all  the  time  that  he  remained  in  Phoenix.  During  these  years 
he  took  a  leading  part  in  organizing  substantial  companies  to 
put  in  water  works,  lighting  plants  and  other  public  utilities 
in  that  city.  The  Governors,  no  matter  what  their  names, 
would  not  allow  so  competent  an  organizer  to  escape  from  the 
responsibilities  of  public  life.  For  three  successive  terms 
he  was  pressed  into  duty  as  Adjutant-General  of  Arizona, 
and  in  this  office  he  did  for  the  militia  what  he  had  done  for 
the  schools.  The  military  system  of  Arizona  owes  its  organi- 
zation and  the  original  laws  which  governed  it  to  the  energy 
and  genius  of  Gen.  Sherman. 

About  1889  Gen.  Sherman  was  in  Los  Angeles  on  a  visit, 
more  of  a  business  nature  than  for  pleasure.  A  syndicate  of 
Chicago  capitalists  had  recently  put  in  a  costly  and  elaborate 
system  of  cable  street-railway  lines.  The  winter  of  'Sty-'go 
was  very  wet,  and  the  ground  washed  down  steep  street 
grades  into  the  cable  conduit,  choking  them  so  the  cars  were 
stopped  for  hours  and  even  days.  When  put  in  motion  the 
sharp  sand  cut  the  heavy  cables  like  cords,  and  wrought  large 
damage,  as  the  cable  systems  cost  $15,000  to  $20.000.  Sher- 
man's quick  business  eye  took  in  the  situation.  He  knew  of 
the  newly-devised  electric  system  recently  installed  in  certain 
eastern  cities  to  propel  street  cars.  The  cost  per  mile  of 
the  new  "  trolley  "  road  was  less  than  half  that  of  the  cable 
system.  The  cost  of  operating  was  less  than  half,  as  it  re- 
quired 60  per  cent,  or  more  of  the  power  to  drag  the  great 
cables  along  the  conduit  without  a  car  attached.  Sherman 
went  to  San  Francisco,  and  in  a  few  days  had  ample  capital 


enlisted  to  build  a  "  trolley "  system  paralleling  the  cable 
roads.  With  the  aid  of  the  late  John  A.  Muir,  always  Sher- 
man's close,  trusted  and  dearly-loved  friend,  a  franchise  was 
obtained  and  the  work  of  construction  begun.  Times  were 
hard  and  Los  Angeles  seemed  on  the  verge  of  a  hard  winter 
for  working  people,  when  this  new  enterprise  came  in  the  very 
nick  of  time,  and  as  has  often  been  the  case  before  and  since 
in  this  city  good  genius  saved  her  from  depression.  Gen. 
Sherman  was  elected  president  of  the  Consolidated  Electric 
Railroad  Company  of  Los  Angeles,  and  held  the  office  during 
the  entire  period  of  its  existence.  The  result  of  the  new  road 
was  in  the  end  the  absorption  of  the  cable  system,  which 
could  by  no  means  compete  with  the  better  system.  The 
bonds  floated  by  Gen.  Sherman  at  90  cents  in  a  short  time 
were  worth  $1.28,  and  made  those  who  held  them  rich.  Sher- 
man's next  big  undertaking  was  an  electric  road  from  Pasa- 
dena to  Los  Angeles,  and  this  was  extended  through  the  city 
and  on  to  the  beach  at  Santa  Monica,  making  at  that  time  the 
largest  electric  railroad  in  the  world,  and  extending  almost 
from  the  snow  line  on  the  mountain  below  to  the  music  of 
the  waves  on  the  beach. 

So  matters  went  until  four  years  ago,  when  Gen.  Sherman 
entered  into  negotiations  with  H.  E.  Huntington  and  asso- 
ciates, who  purchased  all  his  lines  excepting  that  to  Santa 
Monica.  In  other  pages  of  this  work  may  be  read  the  story 
of  Gen.  Sherman's  associate  in  all  his  ventures — his  brother- 
in-law,  E.  P.  Clark.  These  two  progressive  men  have  ren- 
dered a  service  whose  importance  cannot  be  overestimated  to 
Los  Angeles  and  the  country  around  it.  They  are  the  true 
founders  of  all  the  superb  system  of  urban  and  interurban 
roads  which  make  this  city  and  its  environs  unrivaled  in  the 
world  in  respect  to  rapid  transit.  They  still  hold  the  line 
from  Lcs  Angeles  to  Santa  Monica,  known  as  the  Los  Ange- 
les-Pacific Railroad,  with  routes  via  Hollywood,  Colegrove 
and  Sawtelle  and  the  Soldiers'  Home  and  what  is  known  as 
the  "  Short  Line  "  to  Ocean  Park  and  Santa  Monica.  This 
is  the  famous  "  Balloon  Route,"  and  is  a  most  valuable  piece 
of  property.  The  company  has  recently  acquired  a  rival  line 
and  enjoys  a  practical  monopoly  in  its  territory.  Nearly  a 
million  dollars  have  been  spent  by  the  company  on  its  prop- 
erty within  the  past  year. 

Some  twenty  years  ago  Gen.  Sherman  married  a  daughter  of 
E.  H.  Pratt,  a  distinguished  citizen  of  San  Francisco.  Their 
family  consists  of  two  sons,  Robert  and  Hazeltine,  and  one 
daughter.  Miss  Lucy. 

Surely  here  is  an  inspiring  story  of  the  successful  career  of 
a  schoolmaster.  Gen.  Sherman  today  is  in  the  very  prime  of 
life,  actually  reveling  in  the  hard  work  of  a  busy  life,  with 
more  substantial  friends  ready  to  join  him  or  help  him  along 
in  his  best  undertakings  than  almost  any  ether  man  in  the 
State,  and  may  well  be  envied  the  high  place  he  occupies  in 
industrial  world.  He  is  the  same  modest,  unassuming, 
approachable,  affable,  kindly  friend  he  was  among  his  pupils 
when  a  country  school  teacher.  Spontaneously  as  one  writes 
this  story,  the  verses  of  Longfellow's  Psalm  of  Life  rise  in 
the  mind: 

"  The  lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us 

We  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 
And,  denarting,  leave  behind  us 
Footprints  on  the  sands  of  Time." 

Nor  are  these  words  quoted  to  flatter  the  vanity  of  the 
subject  of  this  brief  sketch.  But  the  writer  could  not  forget 
the  next  verse  that  follows  : 

"  Footsteps  that  perhaps  another 

Sailing  o'er  Life's  solemn  main, 

A  forlorn  and  shipwrecked  brother, 

Seeing,  may  take  heart  again." 


78 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


EDWIN   T.  EARL. 


NO  HISTORY  of  Southern  California  would  be  com- 
plete without  a  sketch  of  Edwin  T.  Earl.  The  first 
development  of  the  resources  of  the  State  was  in  hor- 
ticulture. The  growth  of  population  and  wealth  in  all  parts 
of  California,  excepting  the  purely  mining  counties,  was  in 
the  orchards  of  the  State.  Los  Angeles  county  vineyards  in 
1880  were  paying  $100  per  acre  and  upward,  and  the  orange 
groves  netted  as  high  as  $1000  per  acre  a  year.  These  returns 
naturally  led  to  extensive  planting.  In  consequence,  it  was 
not  long  before  there  was  more  fruit  of  many  kinds  than 
local  markets  would  take  at  profitable  prices.  The  same  con- 
ditions applied  to  the  de- 
ciduous fruit  interests 
north.  The  task  of  find- 
ing a  market  for  the  sur- 
plus fruit  crops  of  Cali- 
fornia was  beset  with 
many  complicat  ions. 
They  grew  1000  to  3000 
miles  from  the  eastern 
markets.  California  fruit 
was  considered  a  luxury 
which  only  the  rich 
could  use.  It  was  of  a 
perishable  nature,  and 
required  great  care  in 
handling.  It  would  not 
endure  extremes  of  heat 
or  cold.  The  problem 
of  successful  transporta- 
tion proved  the  most  dif- 
ficult. Ca'ifcrnia  fruit 
had  great  merit  as  re- 
gards appearance  and 
flavor.  Experime  n  t  a  1 
shipments  to  eastern 
mar  k  e  t  s  demonstrated 
that  the  fruit  would  sell 
if  delivered  in  good  or- 
der, at  a  reasonable  co^t. 
In  1880  the  fruit  ship- 
ments to  eastern  mar- 
kets were  handled  by 
passenger  train,  at  a  cost 
of  about  $900  per  car  to 
Chicago,  and  from  there 
it  was  necessary  to  dis- 
tribute the  fruit  by  ex- 
press, at  additioral  cost, 
to  markets  further  East. 
The  policy  of  the  only 
transcontinental  road  ex- 
isting at  that  time  was  to  charge  all  the  "  traffic  would  bear,'' 
instead  of  fostering  the  industry  and  encouraging  its  devel- 
opment. The  fruit  industry  not  only  had  high  freight  rates 
to  contend  with,  but  was  also  greatly  handicapped  by  not 
having  suitable  cars  for  the  proper  preservation  of  the  fruit 
in  transit.  The  only  cars  available  were  ventilated  box  cars. 
When  the  temperature  was  just  right,  oranges  could  be 
shipped  East  in  such  cars  with  fairly  good  results ;  but  when 
the  temperature  was  cold,  the  fruit  would  freeze  en  route, 
and  when  the  weather  was  hot  the  oranges  would  heat  and 


decay.  In  1885  the  fruit  growers  of  the  State  looked  the  sit- 
uation in  the  face  with  absolute  despair.  Production  had 
outgrown  the  local  and  Coast  demand,  and  the  only  outlet 
was  the  eastern  market.  High  freight  rates,  unsuitable  cars 
and  slow  time  made  eastern  shipments  unprofitable.  The 
orange  crop  of  Southern  California  during  the  winter  and 
spring  of  1885  did  not  average  the  growers  much  over  50 
cents  per  box  on  the  trees.  Many  growers  realized  less  than 
this  price. 

At  this  juncture  there  came  to  Southern  California  the  "one 
n:a:i  in  ten  thousand,'   who  saw  the  way  out  of  the  difficulty. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact 
that  the  solution  of  the 
problem  which  confront- 
ed the  orange  growers 
was  worked  out  by  a 
Native  Son.  Edwin  T. 
Earl  grew  up  on  a  farm, 
and.  as  a  boy,  took  part 
in  the  cultivation  and 
marketing  of  deciduous 
fruits  in  Central  Califor- 
nia. After  his  school 
days  were  over,  he  en- 
tered into  the  business 
of  fruit  shipping.  His 
first  experience  in  this 
line  was  with  the  ordi- 
nary ventilated  cars  fur- 
nished by  the  railroads. 
This  experience  demon- 
strated to  him  the  im- 
possibility of  the  success- 
ful marketing  of  Ca'i- 
fornia  fruits  East  ii 
ordinary  ventilated  box 
cars.  The  fruit  was  still 
mostly  handled  by  pas- 
senger train,  at  a  trans- 
nortation  cost  of  $900 
per  car  from  California 
to  Chicago.  The  failur? 
of  successfully  marketing 
California  fruits  in  ven- 
tilated fruit  cars  caused 
Mr.  Earl  to  turn  his  at- 
tention to  refrigerator 
cars,  and  in  the  later 
'/c's  he  brought  out  re- 
frigerator cars  from  the 
East,  and  used  them  in 
the  transportation  of  de- 
ciduous fruits  from  Central  California,  by  freight  train,  at 
a  much  lower  cost,  compared  with  the  passenger-train  rate. 
These  shipments  in  refrigerator  cars,  by  freight  train,  how- 
ever, did  not  meet  with  the  approval  of  the  railroads.  They 
preferred  to  handle  the  business  by  passenger  train.  Difficul- 
ties were  put  in  the  way  of  the  use  of  refrigerator  cars.  Ice 
could  not  be  obtained  at  reasonable  prices  in  California  and 
along  the  line.  Ice  alone  cost  $50  to  $60  per  ton  at  loading 
points,  and  as  high  as  $30  per  ton  at  points  in  the  mountains 
of  California.  Mr.  Earl  contended  with  these  transportation 


MEN   OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


79 


difficulties  for  a  number  of  years.  His  experience  demon- 
strated that  California  fruits  were  destined  to  receive  a  wel- 
come reception  East  as  soon  as  transportation  difficulties  were 
overcome.  He  persevered,  and,  after  meeting  with  fair  suc- 
cess in  the  marketing  of  deciduous  fruits  from  Central  Cali- 
fornia, came  to  Southern  California  in  1886  to  engage  in  the 
shipping  of  citrus  fruits.  Up  to  that  time  the  eastern  deal- 
ers knew  practically  nothing  about  California  oranges.  The 
eastern  markets  were  supplied  with  oranges  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  Florida  sections.  The  dealers  could  not  realize 
that  California  was  destined  to  supply  the  American  markets 
with  oranges,  and  that  the  day  would  soon  come  when 
Mediterranean  oranges  would  be  practically  unknown  in  our 
markets.  The  idea  of  marketing  California  oranges  success- 
fully at  such  points  as  New  York  and  Boston  was  laughed 


the  only  other  cars  available  were  ordinary  refrigerator  cars, 
which,  to  a  certain  extent,  would  protect  the  fruit  from  freez- 
ing, but  at  the  western  end  of  the  journey  oranges  required 
ventilation,  and  ordinary  refrigerator  cars  would  not  provide 
it.  The  methods  of  packing  California  oranges  in  1886  were 
crude.  It  was  necessary  to  introduce  new  methods  of  pick- 
ing, hauling,  grading  and  packing.  These  new  methods  grow- 
ers were  eager  to  adopt,  thus  insuring  the  fruit  being  in  proper 
condition  for  eastern  shipment ;  but  difficulties  of  transporta- 
tion were  apparently  insurmountable,  and  orange  shipments 
to  eastern  markets  continued  to  meet  with  indifferent  and 
uncertain  results  until  about  1890.  Mr.  Earl  introduced  many 
new  methods  in  connection  with  the  picking,  packing,  loading 
and  selling  of  California  oranges,  but  he  had  the  transportation 
to  contend  with.  It  was  proved  conclusively  that  California 


RESIDENCE   OK    EDWIN    T.    EARL,    LOS    ANGELES,    CAI.. 


at  by  eastern  dealers,  and  was  not  seriously  considered  by 
many  Californians,  either.  Mr.  Earl's  study  of  eastern  fruit 
markets  demonstrated  to  him  that  California  oranges  had 
merit  and  could  be  successfully  marketed  as  far  East  as  the 
Atlantic  Coast. 

Early  in  1886  the  Santa  Fe  completed  a  line  into  Southern 
California  and  began  handling  orange  shipments.  California 
oranges  begin  to  ripen  about  January  each  season,  and  the 
shipments  continue  during  the  winter,  spring  and  summer 
months.  The  difficulties  in  1886  of  shipping  California 
oranges  to  the  eastern  markets  during  the  winter  months  were 
very  great.  The  ventilated  fruit  car  furnished  by  the  rail- 
roads would  not  protect  the  fruit  from  freezing  en  route,  and 


oranges  had  great  merit,  and  eastern  markets,  as  far  East  as 
New  York,  were  ready  to  accept  them  at  good  prices,  if  the 
transportation  difficulties  were  overcome.  These  difficulties 
occupied  a  large  portion  of  Mr.  Earl's  attention  for  several 
years,  and  in  1890  he  invented  the  first  successful  combina- 
tion ventilator-refrigerator  car  used  in  the  transportation  of 
California  fruits. 

Mr.  Earl  had  founded  the  Earl  Fruit  Company,  a  corpora- 
tion, under  the  laws  of  California,  with  a  paid-up  capital  and 
surplus  of  $250,000.  It  was  the  largest  fruit-packing  and 
shipping  concern  in  the  State.  His  combined  ventilator- 
refrigerator  car  was  first  made  use  of  by  the  Earl  Fruit  Com- 
pany, and  Mr.  Earl's  original  intention  was  simply  to  provide 


80 


MEN   OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


cars  for  the  Earl  Fruit  Company's  shipments.  The  demand, 
however,  for  the  Earl  ventilator-refrigerator  car  proved  so 
great  that  Mr.  Earl  was  compelled  to  establish  a  car  line,  and 
from  the  first,  his  C.  F.  X.  car.  operated  by  the  Continental 
Fruit  Express,  was  eagerly  sought  for  by  all  shippers.  These 
combined  ventilator-refrigerator  cars  were  not  only  eagerly 
sought  for  by  California  shippers,  but  by  fruit  shippers  and 
dealers  ill  over  America.  The  car  was  extensively  used  in 
the  transportation  of  Florida  oranges.  Southern  strawberries, 
as  well  as  California  citrus  and  deciduous  fruits.  The  Earl 
combination  ventilator-refrigerator  car  filled  a  long-existing 
void.  The  car  line  grew  until  it  was  operating  about  2000 
ventilator-refrigerator  cars,  representing  an  investment  of 
$2,000.000.  The  car  line's  business  far  exceeded  that  of  the 
Earl  Fruit  Company,  and  in  1000  it  handled  over  12,000  car- 
loads of  fruit  and  vegetables. 


In  1900  Mr.  Earl  received  a  very  handsome  offer  for  his 
interests  in  the  fruit-shipping  and  refrigerator-car  business, 
and  concluded  to  retire  from  a  strenuous  life  covering  a 
period  of  over  twenty-five  years,  and  did  so,  with  a  fortune. 
Since  looo  Mr.  Earl  has  devoted  his  attention  to  large  real 
estate  investments  in  Los  Angeles,  and  to  the  growth  and 
expansion  of  the  Los  Angeles  Express,  the  leading  afternoon 
paper,  and  the  only  one  published  in  Southern  California  at 
present  with  full  Associated  Press  news.  Mr.  Earl's  home, 
which  embellishes  page  79,  is  located  in  Los  Angeles;  it  is 
in  the  old  English  style  of  architecture,  constructed  in  a  most 
substantial  manner.  The  large  grounds  are  profusely  orna- 
mented with  rare  and  beautiful  plants,  trees  and  flowers.  It 
is  a  notably  handsome  place,  and  is  presided  over  by  Mr. 
Earl's  charming  wife,  who  was  formerly  Miss  Emily  Jarvis, 
of  Louisville,  Ky. 


FERD  K.  RULE. 


THE   noteworthy   individual    successes   in    Southern   Cali- 
fornia seem  in  many  instances  to  have  been  due  quite 
as  much  to  personal  tact  and  ability  as  to  exceptional 
opportunities   or  unusual   luck.     As   an   instance   in   point  the 
writer  finds  few  more  pronounced  examples  than  the  subject 
of  this  sketch. 

Ferd  K.   Rule  was  born   in  St.   Louis,    Missouri,  December 
6,    1853.     He   received   his   education   in   the  city  schools   and 


FERD    K.    RULE. 

later  graduated  from  the  University  of  St.  Louis.  He 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Waters-Pierce  Oil  Company  while 
a  young  man,  and  remained  with  the  company  for  a  number 
of  years,  being  connected  with  their  interests  throughout 
Missouri,  Arkansas,  Texas  and  Old  Mexico,  where  the  com- 
pany did  an  extensive  business. 

In  1887  Mr.  Rule  entered  business  upon  his  own  account  in 
Kansas  City,  where  for  the  ensuing  three  years  he  was 
engaged  in  the  banking  and  brokerage  business.  Too  close 
application  to  the  duties  imposed  upon  him  threatened  to 
undermine  his  health,  and  he  sought  relief  in  the  more  genial 
climate  of  Southern  California,  where  he  arrived  in  1890. 


Shortly  after  his  arrival  he  purchased  a  twenty-acre  fruit 
ranch  near  Pasadena,  which  he  retained  for  two  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  his  health  was  so  much  improved  that 
he  determined  to  seek  the  first  opportunity  to  re-engage  in 
active  business.  His  wishes  were  gratified  in  April,  1892, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Los  Angeles  Terminal 
Company.  His  advance  was  marked  from  the  start,  and  in 
1899  he  was  made  general  manager  of  the  road,  holding  that 
position  until  the  road  was  sold  to  the  present  company  in 
April,  1901.  He  was  accorded  a  place  upon  the  directorate  of 
the  San  Pedro,  Los  Angeles  and  Salt  Lake  Railroad,  and 
acted  as  auditor  of  the  company  until  September,  1903,  when 
he  was  made  treasurer  of  the  entire  system. 

In  public  affairs  Mr.  Rule  has  always  displayed  a  spirit 
of  great  interest.  He  is  the  president  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  a  Police  Commissioner  and  a  National  Executive 
Committeeman  for  the  United  States  League  of  Republican 
clubs.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  California  Club  and 
Union  League  Club  of  this  city,  while  for  seven  years  he  has 
been  president  of  the  Jonathan  Club,  and  as  such  has  been 
largely  instrumental  in  securing  the  two  tipper  floors  of  the 
nine-story  Huntington  building  for  club  rooms.  Fraternally, 
Mr.  Rule  is  an  Elk,  a  Knight  Templar,  a  Shriner,  and  a 
Thirty-second  Degree  Mason.  He  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  successful  club  men  in  the  city,  and  is  ever  alert  to  the 
best  interests  of  the  organization  of  which  he  is  a  member. 

Mr.  Rule  makes  his  home  on  West  Washington  street, 
where  he  has  a  handsome  residence.  He  devotes  his  time 
and  attention  to  his  extensive  and  varied  interests,  and  under 
his  business  direction  they  are  expanding  and  developing. 
Mr.  Rule  is  a  typical  Western  man,  generous  in  his  business 
relations  and  jovial  in  his  social  intercourse. 

Mr.  Rule's  name  has  been  identified  with  the  best  interests 
of  the  city  and  State,  since  he  adopted  California  as  his 
home.  He  occupies  a  prominent  position  on  the  directorate 
of  a  number  of  successful  mining,  industrial,  manufacturing 
and  banking  corporations,  and  is  an  indefatigable  worker  in 
promoting  the  best  interests  of  Southern  .  California.  He 
identifies  himself  with  all  progressive  movements  and  socially 
is  as  popular  as  he  is  financially  successful. 

As  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  Mr.  Rule  has 
rendered  this  section  of  the  State  services  that  cannot  be 
overestimated  in  their  value  to  all  residents  of  Southern; 
California. 


BY  A.  RICHARDSON,  Los  ANGELES. 


WHAT    is    known    as    the    Southwest    mining 
region  is  the  most  extensive  and,  possibly, 
the   most   richly-mineralized   region   in   the 
United  States.     The  most  extensive,  because  it  has  an 
area  of  about   175,000  square  miles,    and,    to    repeat, 
possibly  the  richest,  because  its  present  production  of 
gold,  silver  and  other  metals  and  minerals,  with  very 
partial  development,  has  a  closely-estimated  value  of 
$f>o,ooo,ooo  a  year,  of  which  Arizona  produces  more 
than  one-half. 

This  region  embraces  the  Territory  of  Arizona, -the 
southern  portion  of  New  Mexico,  Southern  Nevada,  all 
of  Southern  California,  the  States  of  Sonora  and 
Sinaloa  and  the  territory  of  Lower  California,  these 
three  latter  being  in  Mexico.  This  vast  extent  of 
country  is  described  as  the  "  Southwestern  Region," 


lies  in  its  mineral  deposits.  Nor  are  these  confined 
to  the  desert  portions  of  the  Southwest.  The  precious 
metals,  copper  and  other  metals,  are  found  in  all 
portions  of  Arizona,  in  the  southwestern  portion  of  the 
State  of  Nevada,  in  portions  of  San  Diego,  San  Ber- 
nardino, Riverside,  Orange,  Santa  Barbara  and  Kern 
counties  in  Southern  California,  all  of  which  portions 
contain  much  arable  land.  Before  entering  upon  any 
detailed  account  of  the  various  mining  districts  and 
camps  in  this  southwestern  region,  it  may  be  well  to 
at  once  mention  some  of  the  metals  and  minerals  that 
are  being  produced  in  commercial  quantities  ;  the  recital 
of  them  will  help  the  reader  to  form  a  better  estimate 
of  the  great  mining  possibilities  of  this  great  South- 
west :  Gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  petroleum,  cement, 
borax  and  salt.  All  of  these  are  being  mined,  and  the 


ARIZONA    COPPER     CO.  S     CONCENTRATOR,     ARIZONA. 

because  of  its  being  all  tributary  to  Los  Angeles,  that 
city  being  now  the  recognized  commercial  and  financial 
center  of  the  Southwest.  That  is  a  fact  that  must 
not  be  forgotten. 

Of  the  total  area,  a  large  proportion  is  classed  as 
"  desert  land,"  but  that  term  is  a  misnomer.  It  is 
desert  and  remains  desert  so  long  as  it  is  not  cultivated, 
but  when,  as  has  been  demonstrated  at  Imperial,  water 
is  introduced  upon  it  and  the  soil  cultivated,  it  pro- 
duces almost  everything  that  grows,  including  semi- 
tropical  fruits,  and  ripens  those  latter  earlier  than 
they  are  produced  in  other  sections  of  the  United 
States. 

But  the  greater  wealth  of  this  so-called  desert  region 


DETROIT    COPPER    CO.  S    CONCENTRATOR,    ARIZONA. 

production  of  them  is  large.  In  addition  to  them,  the 
following  may  be  mentioned,  all  of  which  are  known 
to  exist,  but  which  are  not  yet  produced  in  quantities 
sufficiently  large  to  justify  classifying  them  under  a 
commercially-productive  head ;  they  are :  Iron,  nitre, 
graphite,  coal,  manganese,  quicksilver,  mica,  serpen- 
tine ;  also  several  varieties  of  gem  stones.  In  struc- 
tural material,  such  as  marble,  granite  and  sandstone, 
both  Arizona  and  Southern  California  are  rich, 
possessing  them  not  only  in  abundance,  but  of  superior 
quality  for  building  purposes.  Many  other  substances 
classified  as  mineral  substances  might  be  added  to  the 
list,  but  because  of  their  remoteness  from  economical 
transportation  they  are  not  yet  being  developed. 


82 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


ARIZONA. 

Of  the  several  sections  comprising  this  southwestern 
region,  Arizona  has  the  greatest  metal  production,  chief 
of  which  is  copper.  It  may  be  said  that  copper  is 
mined  in  almost  every  county  in  the  Territory,  the  bulk 


ANOTHER    VIEW   AT 
BOSTON   GROUP 


CYANIDE    TANKS 
AT  MILL 


Mint,   for  the  year    1902   was   $7,046,153,   it   is   seen 

that  Arizona  is  producing  copper,  gold  and  silver  of 

a  value  of  $28,750,000  a  year. 

The  most   important  copper   mine   in  the  southern 

portion  of  the  Territory  is  the  Copper  Queen,  in  Co- 
chise  county.  It  is  Arizona's  sec- 
ond largest  copper  producer,  and 
stands  an  easy  seventh  in  the  list 
of  the  world's  copper  producers,  its 
present  production  being  some- 
where about  33,000,000  pounds  a 
year.  The  mine  is  the  property  of 
the  Copper  Queen  Consolidated 
Alining  Company,  a  close  corpora- 
tion— about  as  close  as  they  make 
them — controlled  by  M  e  s  s  r  s. 
Phelps,  Dodge  &  Co.,  of  New  York, 
with  Prof.  James  Douglas  as  presi- 
dent of  it.  In  addition  to  its  smelt- 
ing works  at  Bisbee,  the  company 
is  erecting  immense  reduction 
works  at  Douglas,  close  to  the  Mex- 
ican line.  Besides  its  Copper 
Queen  mine,  the  company  owns 
copper  mines  at  Nacozari,  Sonora, 
Mex. ;  also  several  lines  of  railway. 
I'ut  of  all  its  mines,  the  Copper 
Queen,  at  Bisbee,  is  the  most  inter- 
esting ;  the  one  that  has  been  the 
means  of  attracting  so  much  capi- 
tal to  Cochise  county.  The  forma- 
tion in  the  Copper  Queen  consists 
essentially  of  two  limestone  beds, 
the  upper  one  white,  the  lower  one 
blue,  dipping  southward  and  flank- 
ing a  granite  core.  The  most  im- 


HOIST    AT 
BOSTON  GROUP 


of  it  coming  from  Cochise,  Graham, 
Gila  and  Yavapai  counties.  One  will 
better  understand  the  importance  to  Ari- 
zona of  that  branch  of  the  mining  indus- 
try when  told  that  the  production  of  that 
metal  has  increased  from  23,274,965 
pounds  in  1883  to  an  estimated  produc- 
tion of  167,000,000  pounds  in  1903, 
which  latter  quantity  represents  at  pres- 
ent market  prices  a  value  of  $21,710,000. 
If  to  that  amount  there  be  added  the  gold 
and  silver  production  which,  according 
to  the  report  of  the  Director  of  the 


VIEWS   AT   QUARTETTE    MINE,    SEARCHLIGHT,    NEVADA. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


83 


portant  finds  of  ore  have  been  at  the 
base  of  the  upper  limestone.       De- 
velopments of  the  last    two    years 
have  shown  that  the  formation  car- 
ries   extensive    ore     values     much 
deeper    than    was     formerly     sup- 
posed— a   fact  of  the  greatest   im- 
portance for  the  future  prosperity 
of  IJisbee.     In  the  limestone,  caves 
are  occasionally    encountered    with 
good  todies  of  ore  usually   found 
beneath    them.     Large    masses    of 
native  copper  are  frequently  found, 
and,  strange  to  say,  not   near  the 
surface,  as  is  usually    the    case    in 
other  copper  districts,  but  at  con- 
siderable   depth:       One    of    these 
chunks  of  native  copper  was  found 
last    year    in    the    Copper    Queen, 
weighing  over  200  pounds.     It  was 
cut  into      pieces    of  about    half    a 
pound,  which  are    used    as    paper 
weights  bv  those  to    whom    the    company    presented 
them.     The  capacity  of  the  smelter  at  Bisbee  was  1000 
tons  of  ore  a  day,  but  the  plant  has  been  partially  dis- 
mantled.    Portions  of  it — such  as  could  be  made  use 
of — were  moved  to  Douglas  and  incorporated  in  the 
new  plant,  the  capacity  of  which  will  be  1500  tons  of 
ore  a  clay. 

There  is  one  copper  mine  at  Bisbee  that  may  be 
fittingly  classed  among  the  phenomenal  copper  mines 
of  the  world  ;  it  might,  indeed,  be  properly  spoken  of 
as  the  most  phenomenal  of  all  copper  mines — it  is 
the  Calumet  and  Arizona.  Less  than  two  years  ago  it 
was  nothing  more  than  a  prospect ;  a  prospect,  true, 
having  good  prospects,  but  still  an  undetermined  quan- 
tity. Some  two  years  ago  it  was  purchased  by  some 
mining  capitalists  of  Calumet,  Mich.,  and  of  Pitts- 


v 


BEFORE;  THE  ADVENT  OF  THE  RAILROAD. 


INTERIOR  OF  A    I  DO-STAMP  MILL. 

burgh,  Pa.  Possessed  of  ample  means,  they  issued 
instructions  for  the  development  of  the  property  on  a 
large  scale,  and  within  those  two  years  they  have 
converted  a  prospect  into  a  mine  producing  30,000,000 
pounds  of  copper  a  year.  This  company  has  also  a 
large  smelting  plant  at  Douglas,  the  capacity  of  which 
is  to  be  increased. 

Another  copper  property  in  Cochise  county  that 
may  be  classed  among  the  phenomenal  copper  mines 
of  Arizona  is  the  Black  Diamond,  in  the  Dragoon 
Mountains.  This  property,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Calu- 
met and  Arizona,  has  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  in 
the  hands  of  men  of  large  means ;  men  who  could 
afford  to  open  the  property  in  a  large  way,  with  the 
additional  good  fortune  of  having  in  their  manager 
a  practical  and  careful  mining  man,  who  understood, 
after  study,  the  proper  methods  to  be  practiced  for  the 
economical  reduction  of  the  ores.  When  the  ore 
bodies  were  sufficiently  developed,  a  smelter  of  200 
tons  a  day  was  erected  and  an  aerial  tramway,  one 
and  a  half  miles  in  length,  connecting  the  mine  with 
the  smelter,  was  constructed.  The  next  thing  done 
was  the  laying  of  a  water-pipe  line  from  Pearce  to  the 
smelter,  a  distance  of  about  six  miles,  and  the  con- 
struction of  a  reservoir  of  a  capacity  of  1,000,000 
gallons,  sufficient  for  smelting  requirements  and  for 
all  uses  at  the  camp.  The  water  is  obtained  at  the 
Commonwealth  mine  at  Pearce,  and  runs  by  gravity 
to  the  Black  Diamond  pumping  station,  900  feet  dis- 
tant, where  a  high-pressure  pump  raises  it  800  feet 
and  a  distance  of  over  five  miles  to  the  reservoir  at 
the  smelter.  They  are  treating  150  tons  of  ore  a  day, 
turning  out  a  copper  matte  which  carries  65  per  cent, 
refined  copper,  and  an  average  of  140  ounces  of  silver 


84 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


to  the  ton  of  matte,  making  the  silver  values  alone 
worth  about  $200  per  ton  of  bullion,  sufficient  to  pay 
the  costs  of  mining  and  smelting.  The  ore  has  the 
great  advantage  of  being  self-fluxing,  no  mixtures  of 
ores  being  necessarv ;  the  ore  is  shoveled  into  the  fur- 


showings  under  development,  notably  the  Copper 
Crown,  owned  chiefly  by  Minnesota  parties ;  the  Cop- 
per Belle,  which  is  already  making  ore  shipments  to 
the  smelter  at  El  Paso;  the  Peabody,  and  the  Middle- 
march.  For  this  latter  a  contract  for  a  loo-ton  con- 


.       > 

*£•  .,    r._/.'. 


BUTTE   LODE    MINE,    RANDSBURG,    CAL. 


naces  just  as  it  comes  from  the  mines,  and  the  slag 
loss  is  probably  the  lowest  of  any  smelting  plant  in 
Arizona,  being  not  over  0.30  per  cent,  copper,  and  as 
low,  at  times,  as  0.26  per  cent.  The  company  is  ship- 
ping an  average  of  fifty  tons  of  copper  matte  a  week 
to  the  East.  Oil  is  the  fuel  used. 

There  are  many  other  copper-mining  properties  in 
that  part  of  Cochise  county  that    are    making    good 


centrating  plant  was  recently  let  to    a    Los    Angeles 
machinery  firm. 

But  in  addition  to  its  great  copper  mines,  Cochise 
county  is  rich  in  gold,  having  in  the  Commonwealth 
at  Pearce  one  of  the  two  largest  gold-producing  mines 
in  Arizona — the  Congress  in  Yavapai  county  being 
the  other.  The  Commonwealth  is  equipped  with  an 
8o-stamp  mill,  crushing  200  tons  of  ore  a  day,  using 


DETROIT  COPPER  CO.  S  SMELTER,  MORENCI,  ARIZONA. 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


85 


HOISTING    PLANT,    CONSOLIDATED    MINES    CO.,    TOMBSTONE,  ARIZONA. 


oil  for  fuel.  The  mine  is  opened  to  a  depth  of  goo 
feet,  and  as  the  vein  is  as  strong  and  as  rich  as  at  any 
of  the  upper  levels,  it  is  safe  to  affirm  that  the  Com- 
monwealth has  a  long  and  profitable  future. 

P.ut  there  is  no  district  in  Arizona  that  is  more 
interesting  at  this  time  than  Tombstone.  When,  in 
the  year  1885,  the  price  of  silver  went  down,  Tomb- 
stone went  out  of  sight,  disappearing,  practically, 
from  off  the  map  of  Arizona  as  a  productive  region. 
In  1885  it  had  a  population  ex- 
ceeding 10,000;  twelve  years  later 
all  it  could  boast  of  was  a  popula- 
tion of  600 ;  and  a  camp  that  in  its 
palmy  days  had  a  record  of  $35,- 
000,000  of  silver  bullion  shipped 
out  in  four  years  was  not  shipping 
a  dollar ;  all  mines  were  closed 
down  and  allowed  to  fill  with 
water.  Then  it  was  that  E.  B. 
Gage  conceived  the  idea  of  un- 
watering  these  mines,  and  made 
plans  to  do  so.  He  convinced  him- 
self that  with  improved  methods 
of  mining  the  ores  could  be  profit- 
ably worked  for  their  silver  and 
gold  values.  He  associated  with 
him  in  his  enterprise  W.  F.  Staun- 
ton.  Pumps  of  enormous  lifting 
power  were  contracted  for ,  were 
installed,  and  have  been  kept  at 
work  for  nearly  a  year.  To  ac- 
complish these  things,  the  Tomb- 
stone Consolidated  Mines  Com- 
pany was  organized  ;  Mr.  Gage  was 
elected  president  of  it,  and  the 


necessary  funds  for  machinery  and  work  were  pro- 
vided. This  was  the  resurrection  of  Tombstone;  that 
city  is  again  one  of  the  busiest  and  most  prosperous 
in  Southern  Arizona.  The  pumps  are  lifting  2,150,000 
gallons  of  water  every  twenty-four  hours ;  the  shafts 
have  been  cleaned  out  and  retimbered,  and  the  mines 
are  sending  out  a  carload  of  ore  a  day,  rich  enough 
to  bear  the  expense  of  shipping,  and  ore  that  was 
formerly  regarded  as  worthless  is  yielding  good 


TRAMWAY    TOWER,     BLACK     DIAMOND    COPPER     MINES,   ARIZONA. 


86 


MEN  or  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


returns,  the  building  of  the  railroad  into  Tombstone 
having  made  that  possible.  The  Tombstone  Consoli- 
dated Company  is  working  200  men. 

Next  to  Cochise  county,  the  largest  copper-producing 
county  in  the  southern  portion  of  Arizona  is  Graham 
county,  in  which  is  the  Clifton  district,  with  which 
may  be  properly  linked  Morenci  district,  the  two  dis- 
tricts being  one  district,  so  far  as  centralization  of 
mining  interests  and  operations  is  concerned.  Clif- 


A     WATER      HOLE 

IN     THE    DESERT. 


22.000.000 


ON  THE  ARIZONA 
DESERT. 

ton  and  Morenci  are  in 
the     extreme      eastern 
part  of  Graham  county, 
close  to  the  New  Mex- 
ico line.    In  the  former 
are  the    mines    of    the 
Arizona    Copper  Com- 
pany, the   fourth   larg- 
est      copper-producing 
property     in     Arizona, 
with    an    output    of     about 
pounds  of  copper  a  year.     This  property 
affords  another  excellent   illustration   of 
what    intelligent,     economical     manage- 
ment can    accomplish    when    applied    to 
working  large  bodies  of  low-grade  ore. 
The  mines  of  this    company    are    near 
Morenci,   while  its  smelting  plant  is  at 
Clifton.     Up  to  a  few  years  ago  Morenci, 
speaking  of  it  as  a  town,    was    almost 
isolated  from  the  world.     Situated  at  the 
head  of  a  very  steep,  rocky  gorge,  seventy  miles  from 
the  railroad,  with  Lordsburg,  in  New  Mexico,  as  its 
nearest  point  of  communication,  few  persons,  outside 
of  those  interested  in  its  mining  properties,  knew  of 
its    existence.     Now,    two    powerful     companies     are 
busy  developing  its  mineral   resources,  together  pro- 
ducing about  35,000,000  pounds  of  copper    a    year; 
they  are  the  Arizona  Copper  Company  and  the  Detroit 


Copper  Company.     The  former  company  is  a  Scotch 
organization ;  the  latter  is  controlled  by  Phelps,  Dodge 
&  Co.,  of  New  York,  who  also  own  the  Copper  Queen 
mine  at  Bisbee.     The  first  man  to  realize  the  value  of 
the  ore  bodies  of  the    Morenci-Clifton    district    was 
William  Church,  who,  while  out    on    a    prospecting 
trip,  went  there  in  1873.     He  secured  by  location  and 
purchase  a  few  claims,  and  began  working  them.     In 
those  days  the  ore  was  hauled  by  team    to    a    small 
smelter  on  'Frisco  River,  six  miles  dis- 
tant, and   from  there    the    bullion    was 
hauled  to  Santa  Fe,  N.  M.,  two  trips  a 
year  being  made.    Later,  the  Detroit  Cop- 
per Company  was  organized,  with   Mr. 
Church  as  president,  and,  aided  by  some 
additional  capital,  operations    were    en- 
larged ;  mule  teams  were  used  to  trans- 
port   the     ore    to     the 
smelter,  and  the  amount 
of      bullion     produced 
I       was  increased.     But  in 
those  days  in  that  part 
of  Arizona  it   was    not 
necessary  to  go  far  to 

.  •  v; '".'  '  find    trouble,   and    the 

Apache     Indians     fur- 
nished lots  of  it.   Those 
were   the     days    when 
«r  Geronimo     was     "on 


ENTRANCE   TO  DEATH    VALLEY. 

deck,"  and  he  made  it  very  lively  for  the  muleteers, 
these  latter  considering  themselves  very  fortunate  if 
they  succeeded  in  making  a  round  trip  without  being 
scalped — which  was  of  frequent  occurrence.  Because 
of  these  dangers,  it  was  decided  to  move  the  smelting 
plant  near  to  the  mines,  and  in  1884  this  was  done. 
But  to  do  this  invited  a  problem  difficult  of  solution — 
the  water  problem.  The  only  water  supply  was  the 


MEN  OP  ACHIEl'EMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


87 


'Frisco  River.  How  to  raise 
it  to  the  mines  was  the  dif- 
ficulty. Pumps  were  in- 
stalled. Tanks  with  a  ca- 
pacity of  half  a  million  gal- 
lons constructed ;  since  then 
there  has  heen  no  serious 
bother  about  water. 

In  the  year  1897,  Mr. 
Church  disposed  of  his  in- 
terests in  the  Detroit  prop- 
erties to  Phelps,  Dodge  & 
Co.,  and  one  of  the  first 
projects  which  that  firm 
undertook  in  connection 

with  these  Morenci  mines  was  the  construction  of  a 
railway  up  the  canon,  the  ascension  of  which  required 
a  road  built  somewhat  on  the  lines  of  a  corkscrew. 
The  engineer  to  whom  the  task  was  entrusted  was 
Maj.  W.  M.  Wambaugh.  There  had  already  been 
constructed  from  Lordsburg,  N.  M.,  on  the  Southern 
Pacific  Railway,  a  branch  road  to  Clifton,  built  by  the 
Arizona  Copper  Company.  Maj.  Wambaugh  made  a 
survey  for  the  Morenci  road  in  KJOO,  and  within  one 
year  the  railway  known  as  the  Morenci  Southern,  con- 
necting with  the  Arizona  Copper  Company's  road 
(Arizona  and  New  Mexico)  at  Guthrie,  a  distance,  by 
air  line,  of  twelve  miles,  but  eighteen  miles  as  the 
road  goes,  was  completed.  In  its  course  two  rivers 
and  numerous  canons  were  spanned,  many  tunnels 
driven  and  cuts  made,  making  it  one  of  the  most 
extraordinary  bits  of  railroad  in  the  world.  The  most 
momentous  piece  of  the  work  was  reached  when 
within  a  mile  of  Morenci ;  there  was  a  great  elevation 
to  be  overcome  in  a  narrow  canon.  This  was  accom- 
plished by  a  series  of  loops  with  cuts  and  trestles. 


There  are  six  trestles 
and  four  complete  cir- 
cles. In  this  mile  there 
are  three  miles  of  track. 
Over  this  road  some  two 
hundred  and  fifty  tons 
of  freight,  not  including 
ore,  are  daily  trans- 
ported. 

The    Arizona    Copper 


MILL  AND  ORE  BINS  OF  THE  CEDAR  VALLEY  MINING 
AND  SMELTING  COMPANY,  OWNED  BY  LOS  AN- 
GKLES  CAPITAL. 

Company's  concentrator  has  a  capacity  of  300  tons  of 
ore  a  day ;  that  of  the  Detroit  Company  is  in  excess  of 
500  tons  a  day.  There  is  a  2O-inch  gauge  railway  con- 
necting the  Detroit  concentrator  with  its  mines  and 
with  the  smelters.  This  road  is  also  used  by  the  Ari- 
zona Copper  Company  to  transport  its  ore  from  the 
mines  to  the  concentrator,  and  from  there  to  its  incline 
track  for  shipment  to  Clifton.  This  lilliputian  road 


TEAMING  ON  THE  DESERT — 22-IIORSE  TEAM   HAULING    MACHINERY  TO  GOLD  ROADS  MINE,  FROM  KINGMAN,  ARIZ 


ss 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IK  THE  GREAT  SOUTfiWEST. 


THE  RATCUFF  MINE,  BALLARAT  DISTRICT,  INYO  COUNTY,  CALIFORNIA. 


passes  through  a  tunnel  with  but  a  single  track.  On 
the  Morenci  side  the  road  branches  to  the  smelter  and 
mines ;  on  the  other  side  of  the  hill  it  branches  to  the 
two  concentrators,  to  the  gas  plant  and  to  the  Arizona 
Company's  incline  road.  Over  this  single  track,  com- 
mon to  both  companies,  there  are  handled  daily  about 
1 200  tons  of  material,  a  quantity  greater,  in  all  prob- 
ability, than  is  carried  by  any  other  railroad  in  the 

country,  outside  of 
the  trunk  lines. 

There  is  another 
property  in  the 
Morenci  -  Clif  t  o  n 
district  that  is  be- 
ginning to  assume 
large  proportions 
and  which  will 
soon  take  its  place 
among  the  large 
producers — it  is  the 
S  h  a  n  n  o  n.  The 
group  of  claims 
comp  rising  the 

MEXICAN   PEONS  0, 

n  iu       r  /-.          OM    •  Shannon     property 

Carry  250  Ibs.  of  Ore  on  Their 

Backs  from  the  Mines.  was  formerly  owned 


by  Hon.  C.  M.  Shannon,  of  Los  Angeles.     He  sold  it 
to  Boston  parties,  retaining  an  interest.     The  Boston 
people  organized  the  Shannon  Copper  Company  and 
furnished  the  necessary  money  to  open  the  property 
in  a  large  way.     This  is  being  done  ;  a  concentrating 
plant  has  been  erected,  the  concentrates  being  shipped 
for  treatment.     While  the  stock  of  the  Shannon  Com- 
pany is  listed  in  the  Boston  Stock  Exchange,  it  can 
hardly  be  said  that 
there  is  any  of  the 
stock  on    the   mar- 
ket. 

North  of  Graham 
county,  in  G  i  1  a 
county,  is  the  Globe 
copper  mining  dis- 
trict. The  United 
Globe  and  the  (  )ld 
Domi  n  i  o  n  mines 
are  the  most  im- 
portant in  the  dis- 
trict. The  former 
are  owned,  practic- 

„  ,  ni     i 

ally      by      Phelps 
Dodge     &     Co.,    of 


'CHICKEN    LADDER, 

Whjch    ^    clj 
Down  the   Mines. 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


89 


New  York,  who  also  own  the  Copper  Queen  mines  at 
Bisbee,  and  the  Detroit  mines  at  Alorenci.  While 
the  United  Globe  has  been  worked  for  a  number  of 
years,  the  production  has  been  small  compared  with 
other  copper  mines  in  Arizona.  The  largest  produc- 
tion was  in  1899,  when  there  were  mined  4,451,180 
pounds  of  copper.  Since  that  year  their  production 
has  decreased,  not  because  of  a  lack  of  ore,  such  as 
it  is  ;  rather  because  it  is  more  expensive  to  reduce.  It 
is  a  highly  silicious  sulphide,  requiring  heavy  fluxing, 
making  it  necessary  to  ship  it.  There  is  a  2OO-ton 
smelter  on  the  property. 

The  Old  Dominion  mines 
have  been  a  source  of  much 
and  constant  trouble  to  the 
stockholders  in  the  com- 
pany. It  is  a  Iioston  or- 
ganization ;  is  in  strong 
hands,  but  the  property  has 
suffered  from  a  want  of 
good  management  —  good 
management  in  the  sense 
of  how  to  profitably  treat 
the  ore.  Kacb  succeeding 
^cri,,,,,*,,,  b.  Had  hi 
own  peculiar  views  respect- 
ing that,  hut  all  of  them  seem  to  have  been  imbued 
with  the  notion  that  it  was  the  proper  thing  to  make 
the  ore  fit  their  theories,  rather  than  determine  just 
what  the  ore  required  in  the  way  of  treatment,  and 
put  away  their  theories  in  a  museum.  The  property 
is  well  equipped,  and  is  a 
good  producer,  being  in  the 
neighborhood  of  800,000 
pounds  of  refined  copper  a 
month,  and  which,  under 
more  intelligent  manage- 
ment, could  be  increased  a 
good  one-half.  The  value 
of  production  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  including  gold 
and  silver  in  the  copper 
bullion,  is  probably  not  less 
than  $6,000,000;  yet,  with 
the  exception  of  some  small 
dividends  paid  by  the  orig- 

inal Old  Dominion  Company,  the  stockholders  have 
never  received  a  dollar.  At  this  writing  a  plan  is 
under  consideration  in  Boston  for  the  consolidation  of 
the  Old  Dominion  and  United  Globe  mines,  which,  if 
carried  out,  will,  in  every  probability,  prove  profitable 
to  both,  bringing  both  under  the  same  management 
that  has  made  the  Copper  Queen  and  Detroit  mines 
such  paying  properties. 

Northwest,  again,  of  Gila  county  is  Yavapai  county, 
in  which   is  the  United  Verde  copper  mine,  owned, 


chiefly,  by  Senator  W.  A.  Clark  of  Montana,  one  of 
the  greatest  of  the  world's  copper  mines.  It  is  in  the 
Jerome  district,  in  the  same  great  mineral  belt  that 
traverses  Arizona  in  a  northwesterly-southeasterly 
direction.  This  history  of  the  United  Verde  is  among 
the  most  interesting  of  any  published  on  mines.  Up 
to  the  time  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Senator 
Clark,  it  was  being  opened  and  worked  as  a  gold-silver 
mine,  but  with  depth  the  character  of  the  ore  changed 
to  a  sulphide,  and  it  was  then  that  Senator  Clark 
realized  he  had  a  copper  mine  of  an  undetermined 

value.  There  is  nothing, 
however,  undet  e  r  m  i  n  e  d 
about  it  now ;  it  stands  fifth 
on  the  list  of  the  world's 
copper  producers,  the  only 
ones  exceeding  it  in  pro- 
duction being  the  Ana- 
conda, of  Montana ;  Calu- 
met &  Hecla,  Michigan; 
Rio  Tinto,  Spain,  and  the 


NEVADA-KEYSTONE  MINE  AND  ORE  BINS. 


HAULING     HAY     ON     THE 
DESERT  TO  THE   MINES. 

Iioston  and  Montana,  of 
Montana.  It  is  quite  pos- 
sible, however,  that  for  this 
year  the  Copper  Queen  at 
Bisbee  will  give  it  a  close 
call.  Present  production  is 
about  35,000,000  pounds  of 
copper  a  year,  but  if  there 
were  nothing  to  interfere 

with  the  reduction  of  all  the  ore  that  could  be  pro- 
duced under  its  present  equipment,  the  United  Verde 
could  easily  turn  out  45,000,000  pounds  of  copper  a 
year.  In  the  year  1899  it  produced  nearly  44,000,000 
pounds,  but  that  year  was  followed  by  caves  in  the 
workings  and  by  fires,  reducing  production  for  the 
following  year  to  less  than  40,000,000  pounds ;  in  1901 
to  less  than  35,000,000,  and  in  1902  to  about  30,000,000 
pounds.  New  furnaces  were  erected  this  year,  and, 
barring  labor  troubles  and  fires,  the  United  Verde's 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


production  will  soon  be  as  great  as 
it  was  four  years  ago. 

The  United  Verde  was  originally 
incorporated  nineteen  years  ago,  four 
years  before  Senator  Clark  secured 
control  of  it.  The  present  par  value 
of  the  stock  is  $10  a  share,  with  a 
total  capitalization  of  $3,000,000. 
The  stock  has  sold  during  those 
nineteen  years  as  low  as  50  cents  a 
share,  and  as  high  as  $350  a  share. 
Practically,  there  is  none  of  the  stock 
on  the  market ;  if  there  were  any 
shares  knocking  around  loose,  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  Senator  Clark  would 
get  possession  of  them.  It  began 
paying  dividends  eight  years  after 
its  incorporation.  In  1892  it  paid 
25  cents  a  share  monthly;  in  1896 
dividends  were  increased  to  50  cents 

a  share,  and  in  the  year  1898  were  further  increased  goes  to  the  furnaces.  As  the  ore  is  rich  in  sulphur, 
to  $i  a  share.  At  present,  and  for  some  months  past,  much  heat  is  generated,  and,  as  a  result,  spontaneous 
dividends  have  been  75  cents  per  share.  From  the  combustion  is  not  infrequent.  In  time  of  normal  con- 
year  1892  to  November  30,  1903,  the  United  Verde  ditions  about  1200  men  are  employed  in  and  about 


GOLDEN    TREASURE    MINE    AT    THE    QUARTETTE,     SEARCHLIGHT,   NEVADA. 


has  paid  a  total  in  dividends  of  $27,673,680. 

The  ore  of  the  United  Verde  has  averaged  7  per 
cent,  copper,  with  good  values  in  gold  and  silver.  The 
stopes  are  of  great  width,  and  as  a  consequence  the 
mine  is  as  yet  only  opened  to  a  depth  of  less  than  700 
feet.  In  mining,  no  assortment  of  ore  is  made,  and  no 
concentration  is  attempted ;  everything  from  the  mine 


TEST  MILL,    NEVADA-KEYSTONE,    SANDY,    NEVADA. 


the  mine.  One  of  the  most  interesting  things  con- 
nected with  the  property  is  its  possible  future  produc- 
tion. Some  of  the  few  mining  men  who  have  been 
permitted  to  go  through  the  workings  have  made  esti- 
mates— guesses  would  be  the  better  word — of  the  ore 
in  sight.  The  more  conservative  of  these  guesses 
place  it  at  from  1 5,000,000  to  20,000,000  tons  of  ore, 

which,  at  a  percentage  of  7 
per  cent,  copper,  would 
represent  about  1,250,000 
tons  of  copper.  Figuring 
that  on  the  basis  of  short 
tons,  you  have  2,500,000,- 
ooo  pounds  of  copper, 
which,  computed  at  the 
present  market  price  of  the 
metal  (13  cents  a  pound) 
represents  a  gross  value  of 
$325,000,000.  Truly,  those 
are  interesting  figures. 

The  Jerome  district, 
sometimes  called  the  Verde 
district,  contains  many 
other  copper  mining  prop- 
erties undergoing  develop- 
ment, among  which  the 
following  are  among  the 
more  prominent :  The  Iron 
King,  owned  by  Senator 
W.  A.  Clark,  in  which 
that  gentleman  has  great 


MEN  Or-  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


91 


faith.  A  smelter  is  now  being  erected  on  it ;  is 
nearing  completion,  and  having  large  ore  bodies 
already  blocked  out,  the  Iron  King  will  soon  take  its 
place  among  the  producers.  The  Verde  King,  owned 
chiefly  by  Los  Angeles  parties,  is  another  property  that 
is  being  opened  up  in  a  large  way,  with  excellent 
prospects.  The  Verde  King  has  over  3000  feet  of 
development.  The  property  of  the  Black  Hills  Copper 


ble  gold  mines  in  Arizona — the  Congress  mine.  It  is 
owned  by  the  Congress  Consolidated  Mines  Company, 
Limited,  Hon.  E.  B.  Gage,  president,  and  W.  F.  Staun- 
ton,  superintendent.  The  property  is  equipped  with 
an  eighty-stamp  mill,  has  a  large  cyanide  plant,  and 
employs  500  men.  If  the  figures  of  the  Director  of 
the  Mint,  Washington,  are  correct,  in  which  he  gives 
Arizona  credit  for  a  production  last  year  of  $4,112,- 


Company  is  in  the  same  district.  South  of 
the  Iron  King  is  the  Copper  Chief,  and 
south  again  from  that  is  the  group  owned 
by  the  Mingus  Mountain  Copper  Company, 
which  is  undergoing  development,  showing 
large  bodies  of  ore.  Other  properties  could 
be  named,  but  what  are  mentioned  are  suf- 


ficient to  show  that  all  that  portion  of  Yavapai  county 
known  as  the  Black  Hills  region  is  mineralized,  and 
will,  undoubtedly,  prove  up  some  valuable  copper 
mines,  the  ores  of  which,  as  invariably  shown,  carry 
gold  and  silver,  which,  when  the  copper  bullion  is  re- 
fined, represent  a  good  percentage  of  value. 

In  addition  to  its  great  United  Verde  copper  mine, 
Yavapai  county  possesses  one  of  the  two  most  valua- 


1IAULING  BORAX  BY  TRACTION  ENGINE — BORAX  BINS 
AND  VIKWS  OF  THE  MINES  AND  CRUSHER — PROPERTY 
OF  THE  PACIFIC  COAST  BORAX  COMPANY. 


300  in  gold,  it  would  be  safe  to  put  the  Congress  mine 
down  for  a  good  25  per  cent,  of  the  amount. 

The  King  of  Arizona,  in  Yuma  county,  is  another  of 
Arizona's  gold  producers.  In  this  property  the  vein 
has  been  proved  to  a  depth  of  over  600  feet,  and  shows 
continuity  and  maintenance  of  its  values.  Shipments 
of  gold  bullion  from  this  mine  have  been  as  high  as 
$45,000  a  month. 

The  Fortuna,  also  in  Yuma  county,  has  a  remark- 
able record  as  a  gold  producer.  The  Papago  Com- 
pany, a  Los  Angeles  organization,  owns  some  gold 


92 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


claims  in  Yuma  county,  and  which  are  being  opened. 
It  is  of  some  interest  to  note,  en  passant,  that  the 
first  mining  of  any  consequence  in  Arizona  was  in 
Yuma  county,  at  La  Paz.  This  former  busy  placer 
camp  lies  about  midway  between  Yuma  city  and  the 
Needles,  and  about  two  miles  distant  from  the  Colo- 
rado River.  '  The  story  of  the  first  discovery  of  gold 
there  is  well  authenticated.  A  man  named  Ferrara — 
Don  Juan  Ferrara,  as  he  was  called — found,  during 
one  of  his  prospecting  trips,'  a  gold  nugget  weighing 
nearly  four  pounds.  That  was  a  fact  difficult  to  con- 
ceal. The  news  of  the  find  spread  quickly,  and  there 
was  a  rush  to  the  diggings.  That  was  in  the  latter 
part  of  1861.  The  ground  proved  to  be  very  rich,  and 
many  strikes  were  made,  the  gold,  as  a  rule,  being 
coarse,  running  up  to  nugget  size.  Capts.  Polhamus 
and  Mellon,  who  navigated  that  portion  of  the  Colo- 
rado River  for  over  forty  years,  tell  of  the  large  quan- 
tities of  gold  dust  they  carried  down  the  river.  During 
those  clays  La  Paz  was  infested  with  gangs  of  Mexican 
and  American  toughs ;  street  and  saloon  shooting 


following  story  is  told  about  this  man  and  another 
named  "  Red  Kelly,"  the  latter,  however,  being  more 
peaceably  inclined,  and  who  at  times  acted  as  the 


A  STATION  ON  A  LEVEL  IN  THE  SANTA  ANA 
TIN    MINES. 

"  avenging  angel."  The  story  is  that  one  day,  when 
Capt.  Polhamus  was  in  La  Paz  collecting  freight,  he 
came  up  with  "  Texas,"  and  together  they  walked 
along  the  street.  Suddenly  the  captain  heard  some- 
one yell  from  the  across  the  street,  "  Stand  aside,  if 
you  please,  captain,  I  am  going  to  kill  that  damned 
scoundrel."  Polhamus  had  barely  time  to  get  out  of 
range  before  "  Red  Kelly  "  opened  fire.  "  Texas  " 
returned  the  compliment,  but  he  was  too  late ;  "  Red 
Kelly "  had  three  shots  into  him,  and  "  Texas " 
dropped.  No  objection  was  made  to  "  Red  Kelly's  " 
act,  and  shortly  after  he  left  for  other  diggings. 


SANTA  ANA  TIN  MINUS,  ORANGE  CO.,  CALIFORNIA. 

scrapes  were  of  common  occurrence.  One  of 
the  most  notorious  of  these  "  toughs  "  was 
Bess  Danewood,  afterward  hanged  in  Los 
Angeles.  Another  was  a  man  who  went  by 
the  name  of  "  Texas,"  and  who  was  one  of  the 
most  dreaded  scoundrels  in  the  camp.  The 


HOISTING  MACHINERY. 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


93 


Mohavc  county,  north  of  Yuma  county,  can  lay 
claim  to  being  the  pioneer  in  quartz  mining-  in  Arizona. 
As  far  back  as  1872  a  party  of  miners  from  Nevada, 
mostly  from  Pioche,  attracted  by  stories  of  rich  ore 
found  in  the  Cerbat  Mountains,  Mohave  county, 
pitched  their  camp  where  now  is  the  town  of  Chloride. 
Later,  there  came  other  bands  of  prospectors  from 
California,  until  about  one  hundred  men  were  gathered 
near  what  was  called  Silver  Hill,  because  of  a  large 
vein  of  silver-lead  ore.  running  the  entire  length  of 
the  low  ridge  rising  from  the  v?lley.  Since  then,  and 


in  operation     but  since   June  of  1903,  the  production 
to  date  has  been  most  satisfactory.     A  more  complete 
article  on1  the  Gold  Roads  will  be  found   in  another 
portion  of  this  book.     The  Sheeptrail  and  the  Minnie 
are  among  the  groups  of  mines  in  that  section  which 
have  been  opened  in  a  large  way  and  equipped  with 
mills  and  machinery.     The  Chloride  district,  north  of 
Kingman.  is  another  in  which  there  is  much  mining 
being  done.  One  of  the  most  important  strikes  in  that 
district  was  made  this  year,  in  what  is  known  as  the 
Dempsey  and  O'Dea    group.     As    almost    the    entire 
county  is  heavily    mineralized,    there    is 
everv   reason   to  believe  that  more   dis- 
coveries of  value  will  be  made. 

About  twenty-five  miles  east  of  Yucca, 
a  station  on  the  Santa  Fe,  are  the  prop- 
erties of  the  Cedar  Valley  Mining  and 


BANNER SAN    DIEGO   COUNTY. 

up  to  the  present  time,  there 
has  probably  been  more  gold 
and  silver-lead  mining  in  Mo- 
have  coiftity  than  in  any  other 
county  in1  Arizona.  And  more 
than  that,  more  discoveries  of 
value  are  being  made  in 
Mohave  county  than  in  any 
other,  except  it  be  in  the 
Rradshaw  Mountains,  in  Ya- 
vapai  county.  The  San  Fran- 
cisco mining  district,  in  the 
western  part  of  the  county,  is 
one  of  the  districts  that  has 
become  prominent  within  the 
last  two  years.  In  it  are  the 

Gold  Roads,  the  I  eland,  the  Black  Mountain,  the 
Cedar  Valley,  the  German-American,  and  some  others. 
This  district,  called  by  some  the  Boundary  Cone  dis- 
trict, commences  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Colorado 
River  range  of  mountains.  The  Gold  Roads,  which 
has  been  opened  up  largely  by  Los  Angeles  capital, 
has  one  of  the  most  completely-equipped  mills  in  the 
Territory,  $300,000  having  been  spent  by  Messrs. 
Posey  and  Bayly  in  bringing  the  property  to  its  pres- 
ent state  of  development.  Although  the  mill  has  been 


STAGING  TO  THE   MINES. 

Smelting  Company,  another  Los  Angeles  enterprise, 
organized  by  the  well-known  Spokane  mining  oper- 
ators, Capt.  C.  Henry  Thompson,  Col.  W.  W.  D.  Tur- 
ner of  Le  Roi  fame,  and  others.  The  mines  operated 
by  this  company  are  among  the  most  historic  in  that 
district  and  were  worked  at  a  profit  40  -years  ago, 
when  labor  cost  $10  per  day  and  supplies  were  pro- 
portionately high.  The  company  is  expending  a  large 
amount  of  money  in  developing  the  property  and  it 
shows  evidence  of  great  promise. 


94 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


SOUTHERN  NEVADA. 

Leaving  Mohave  county,  Arizona,  and  crossing-  the 
Colorado  River  at  Camp  Mohave,  you  land  in  that 
portion  of  the  State  of  Nevada  which  forms  the  acute 
angle  of  Lincoln  county,  north  of  which  but  a  few 
miles  is  the  Searchlight  district,  discovered  by  Ben 
Macready  of  Los  Angeles.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
promising  among  new  camps  of  this  southwestern 
region.  The  area  of  the  mineral  belt,  of  which  the 
town  of  Searchlight  is  the  center,  is  about  640  square 
miles.  Throughout  the  whole  of  that  large  section 
there  are  good  prospects  for  mines. 

The  northern  limit  of  the  district  is  about  ten  miles 
south  of  El  Dorado  Canon,  which  is  about  twenty 
miles  north  of  the  town  of  Searchlight;  the  southern 
boundary  of  the  district  is  about  twenty  miles  south 
of  Searchlight.  Over  it  all  the  surface  is  the  typical 
desert,  abounding  in  yucca,  Spanish  bayonet,  grease- 
wood,  cacti  and  the  usual  desert  herbage.  There  is 


FIVE-STAMP    MILL    ON    THE    AURORA    MINE,    LOWER 
CALIFORNIA. 


SCENES    AROUND   ALAMO   CAM1',    LOWER    CALIFORNIA        -PROPERTIES    OF    THE    AURORA    MINING    COMPANY. 


no  surface  water  except  at  Granite  Springs,  eighteen 
miles  north  of  the  town  of  Searchlight.  Water  is 
also  to  be  had  at  Summit  Springs,  three  miles  to  the 
east;  at  Malapi  Springs,  twelve  miles  west;  at  Piute, 
twenty-five  miles  southwest;  also  at  Newberry  and 
Cottomvood  Springs,  about  sixteen  miles  to  the  south- 
east. The  sinking  of  shafts  in  mining  properties  has 
shown  that  water  is  abundant  at  a  depth  of  about 
400  feet. 

Viewed  geologically  the  general  formation  of  the 
district  is  igneous,  containing  many  varieties  of 
porphyry,  granite  and  volcanic  rocks.  The  entire 
district  gives  evidence  of  having  been  subjected  to 
considerable  volcanic  disturbance,  more  especially  in 
the  portion  between  the  camp  and  the  Colorado  River. 
Tn  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Searchlight  Camp  the 
formation  is  almost  entirely  porphyritic,  some  granite 
protrusions  appearing  in  an  irregular  manner  to  the 
north  and  east.  In  this  formation  have  been  found 


THE  GOOD  HOPE  MINE,  SEARCHLIGHT  DISTRICT,  NEVADA. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


THE       DIAMOND    HITCH. 


the  most  valuable 
gold  deposits,  all 
free-milling  a  n  d 
exceptionally  free 
from  refractory 
elements.  Surface 
disturbances  have 
in  places  mixed 
the  gangue  to  a 
depth  varying'  from 


fifty  to  one  hun- 
dred feet,  causing-  unevenness  in  the  width  and  dip  of 
the  veins,  vet  in  no  case  has  there  been  found  other 
than  improvement  in  size  and  values  as  depth  is  at- 
tained. Take,  as  instances,  the  Copper  King  and 
Golden  Treasure  claims,  owned  by  the  Quartette  Min- 


being1  obtained  at  the  mine  workings.  ( hving  to  a  labor 
strike  inaugurated  last  June  little  work  has  been1  done. 
The  strike  is  now  over,  the  Quartette  and  other  compa- 
nies in  the  district  having  procured  a  sufficiency  of  non- 
union labor  to  permit  of  the  resumption  of  work  on 
a  scale  as  large  as  that  which  was  being  clone  prior  to 
the  time  when  the  labor  strike  was  declared.  Among 
other  properties  that  are  being  developed  are  the 
Southern  Nevada,  the  Good  Hope,  the  Cyrus  Noble, 
the  Parallel,  the  Searchlight,  and  others. 

The  Sandy  is  another  district  in  this  southern  por- 
tion of  Nevada  in  which  are  several  valuable  gold 
properties,  notably  that  of  the  Nevada-Keystone  Com- 
pany, a  Los  Angeles  organization.  For  the  last 
year  or  more  the  Nevada- Key  stone  has  been  a 
regular  shipper  of  gold  bullion,  and  has  produced 


THE   POUNDERS  OF   RANDSBURG 
CHARLES  A.   BURCHAM,  JOHN   SINGLETON     AND    F.    M.    MOOERS. 


ing  Company.  These  had  a  surface  showing  of  three 
feet  in  width,  with  values  not  exceeding  $1.60  gold  per 
ton,  whereas  at  a  depth  of  500  feet  the  lead  has  broad- 
ened out  to  over  thirty  feet,  with  values  of  $17  gold 
per  ton,  and  all  free  milling  ore. 

The  property  of  the  Quartette  Mining  Company,  a 
Boston  organization,  is  the  leading  one  of  the  Search- 
light district.  On  it  there  has  been  expended  about 
$400,000,  but  as  it  has  established  for  itself  a  value 
many  times  greater  than  this  sum  the  money  has  been 
well  invested.  This  company  has  a  mill  of  twenty 
stamps  on  the  Colorado  River  with  a  railway  to  it 
from  the  mines.  It  has  also  recently  erected  another 
stamp  mill  at  the  mines,  the  water  necessary  for  it 


$100,000.  The  property  is  equipped  with  mill  and 
cyanide  plant,  and  extensive  improvements  are  now 
being  made,  which  will  greatly  increase  its  monthly 
production.  The  Nevada-Keystone  has  a  record  of 
$380,000  produced  some  years  ago,  and  its  former 
owners  thought  it  was  "  worked  out."  Under  the 
direction  of  Carl  F.  Schader,  a  successful  operator  and 
mining  engineer  of  Los  Angeles,  it  has  within  the 
past  few  months  produced  over  $100,000  in  gold,  and 
values  increase  with  depth. 

SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA. 

Immediately  west  of  Lincoln  county,  Nevada,  is  San 
Bernardino    county,    in    Southern     California.      San 


96 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


Bernardino  is  of  such  vast  extent  that  it  would 
require  an  article  of  many  thousands  of  words  to 
properly  describe  its  many  mining  districts  and  mines 
in  them.  The  districts  in  which  the  most  mining  is 
being  done  are  the  Vanderbilt,  Providence  Mountains 
and  the  New  York  Mountains,  in  the  northeast  part 
of  the  county ;  the  Ludlow  district,  in  the  central  por- 


A         SHIFT         READY 
FOR    WORK. 


tion,  and  at  Johannes- 
burg, which  latter  forms 
part  of  the  Rand  dis- 
trict, extending  into 
Kern  county.  The  Van- 
derbilt  is  one  of  the  older 
mining  districts  of  San 
Bernardino  county,  pos- 
sessing a  number  of  val- 
uable mines.  In  the 
New  York  Mountains, 
the  Giant  Ledge  Gold 

and  Copper  Company  is  doing  the  most  work.  It  has 
a  large  property  which  is  being  intelligently  developed, 
with  large  ore  bodies  blocked  out.  The  company  is 
having  an  aerial  tramway  constructed  from  its  mines 
to  its  mill  site,  preparatory  to  making  arrangements 
for  the  reduction  of  its  ore.  In  the  Providence 
Mountains,  south  of  the  New  York  range,  are  some 
well-defined  gold  ledges  that  are  being  developed, 
while  on  the  southwest  slope  of  the  range  are  some 
large  deposits  of  iron  ore,  which,  when  transportation 
is  provided,  will  prove  valuable. 

In  the  Ludlow  district  are  the  Roosevelt,  the  Chase, 
the  Bagdad  and  other  mines.  The  chief  property  is 
that  belonging  to  the  Bagdad  Mining  and  Milling 
Company,  composed  chiefly  of  eastern  capitalists, 
among  whom  are  Senator  Chauncey  M.  Depew,  J.  N. 
Beckley,  of  Rochester ;  E.  Van  Etten,  of  Boston ;  Ben- 
jamin E.  Chase  and  J.  H.  Stedman,  of  Rochester,  with 


E.  H.  Stagg,  at  the  mines,  general  manager.  These 
men  are  possessed  of  large  means,  and  have  developed 
their  property  in  a  large  way,  building  a  railway  from 
the  mines  to  a  junction  with  the  Santa  Ee  Railway, 
thereby  permitting  them  to  ship  their  ore  direct  to 
their  fifty-stamp  mill  at  Barstow.  The  Bagdad  Com- 
pany recently  acquired  by  purchase  the  Chase  mines, 
which  adjoin  the  Bagdad  property.  The  com- 
pany ships  an  average  of  100  tons  of  ore  a  day 
to  the  Barstow  reduction  works,  the  ore  averag- 
ing $25  in  gold  per  ton. 

Adjoining  the  Roosevelt  and  Bagdad  proper- 
ties and  extending  along  some  of  the  most  richly- 
mineralized  ground  of  the  district,  to  the  Chase 
mines,  a  mile  and  a  half  distant,  lie  the  Sierra 
Grande  properties,  recentlv  acquired  by   former 
United  States  Senator  Stephen  M.  Dorsey,  and 
others.     Active  preparations  are  being  made  for 
the  immediate  develonment  of  the  property,  and 
extensive      expenditures 
are  being  made. 

East  of  Ludlow  dis- 
trict and  south  of  Dauby, 
on  the  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
way, is  the  Old  Wom- 
an's Mountains  district, 
in  which  are  several  gold 
and  silver  properties. 
Southwest  of  that  range 


THE     RANDSHURG     BONANZA,     THE 
ASTER  MINE. 


FAMOUS     YELLOW 


and  on  the  Riverside  county  line,  is  the  Dale  district,  in 
which  mining  has  been  done  during  the  last  ten  years, 
but  which  has  only  recently  begun  to  attract  attention. 
In  this  district  are  such  properties  as  the  Capitola,  the 
O.  K.,  Ivanhoe,  Brooklyn,  Virginia  Dale,  and  many 
others  that  could  be  mentioned,  all  of  which  have,  under 
development,  shown  fine  ore  bodies  carrying  values  in 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


97 


gold,  but  which  have  hitherto  been  handicapped  by  a 
lack  of  sufficient  milling  to  reduce  them,  and  as  the 
camp  is  not  blessed  with  railway  facilities,  it  has  been 
impossible  to  ship  the  ore.  The  lack  of  water  has 
been  partially  overcome  in  the  laying  of  a  pipe  line 
through  which  water  is  furnished  to  some  of  the 
mines,  but  there  is  not  enough  of  it  to  furnish  all  with 
water.  As  evidence  of  the  enormous  richness  of  some 
of  the  ore  in  the  Dale  district,  a  streak  that  was  un- 
covered in  the  Capitola  claim  may  be  mentioned 
which  gave  returns  at  the  rate  of  $137,000  gold  per 
ton.  Some  of  the  ore  was  sent  to  Los  Angeles  to 
be  assayed,  in  order  to  see  whether  an  assay  made  at 
the  mine  of  a  piece  of  the  same  ore  would  be  corrob- 
orated by  the  Los  Angeles  assayer,  and  it  was. 

The  southern  portion  of  Inyo  county  is,  through 
the  fact  of  its  being  tributary  to  the  city  of  Los  Ange- 
les, embraced  within  this  southwestern  region.  The 
general  formation  is  sim- 
ilar to  that  of  the  north- 
ern part  of  San  Bernar- 
dino, which  it  adjoins. 
The  Panamint  district  of 
Inyo  county  was  in  days 
gone  by  famous  for  its 
rich  silver  mines.  At 
present  the  principal  min- 
ing is  being  done  in  the 
Ballarat  district,  one  of 
the  chief  properties  being 
the  Ratcliff  mine.  In  the 
Angus  range,  west  of  Bal 
larat,  Los  Angeles  parties 
arc  developing  a  large 
property ;  there  is  also  a 
good  deal  of  work  being 
clone  in  the  Slate  range,  south  of  Ballarat. 

In  San  Diego  county,  mining  is  chiefly  confined  to 
the  extreme  eastern  part,  bordering  on  the  Colorado 
River.  The  best-known  mines  are  the  Golden  Cross, 
near  Hedges,  which  have  been  worked  for  many  years 
and  are  still  producing  in  the  neighborhood  of  $11,000 
per  month,  but  that  amount  is  much  less  than  the 
production  of  some  eight  or  ten  years  ago.  The  ore 
is  low  grade,  carrying  not  to  exceed  an  average  of 
$3-6o  gold  per  ton.  There  is  a  very  large  accumula- 
tion of  tailings  at  the  mine,  which  are  now  being 
cyanided,  with  fairly  good  results. 

Another  large  property  in  that  part  of  San  Diego 
county  is  the  property  of  the  California  King  Gold 
Mines  Company,  at  Picacho.  This  company  has  a 
railway  connecting  the  mines  with  its  milling  plant  on 
the  Colorado  River,  distant  four  and  one-half  miles. 
The  crushing  capacity  of  the  mill  is  1000  tons  daily, 
but  the  tankage  capacity  is  yet  insufficient,  not  more 


than  the  equivalent  of  300  tons  a  day.  The  plant 
was  constructed  for  straight  cyaniding.  It  is  built 
in  three  units  and  can  be  made  available  to  crush  1200 
tons  of  ore  every  twenty-four  hours.  There  is  a  bin 
capacity  of  2500  tons,  and  there  are  ten  cyanide  tanks 
of  250  tons  each.  As  a  cyaniding  proposition  the 
plant  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 
The  Julian  and  Banner  are  two  other  districts  in 
San  Diego  county  in  which  mining  is  being  done,  but 
to  a  limited  extent  only.  Ore  bodies  are  not  lacking, 
but  men  with  sufficient  means  to  open  them  do  not 
seem  to  be  on  hand. 

Kern  county  has  the  largest  gold  mine  in  the  South- 
west, and,  for  that  matter,  one  of  the  largest  on  the 
Pacific  Coast — the  Yellow  Aster,  in  the  Rand  dis- 
trict. The  Yellow  Aster  Company  is  a  close  corpora- 
tion, and  is  owned  and  controlled  by  John  Singleton, 
C.  A.  Burcham  and  Dr.  Rose  L.  Burcham.  The  prop- 
erty is  in  every  respect 
one  of  the  most  perfectly 
equipped  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,  having  two  stamp 
mills — one  of  thirty 
stamps,  the  other  of  100 
stamps — its  own  water 
plant,  which  includes  a 
pumping  station  and  sev- 
eral miles  of  pipe  line,  af- 
fording an  ample  supply 
for  all  purposes.  The 
mines  are  electr  i  c  a  1 1  y 
lighted,  every  possible 
improvement  and  conven- 
ience to  facilitate  work 
and  keep  down  expense 
being  provided.  It  has 
a  good  record  of  production,  and  a  future  that  is  rich 
with  promise  of  increasing  production  for  years  to 
come. 

To  attempt  a  list  of  other  mines  in  the  Rand  dis- 
trict would  necessitate  making  it  a  large  one,  there 
beh:g  some  hundreds  of  properties  in  the  district  that 
are  undergoing  development.  The  Rand,  like  the 
Searchlight  district,  has  recently  passed  through 
troublous  times  from  labor  strikes,  but  there,  as  in  the 
other  district,  the  labor  strikers  went  after  more  wool, 
but  came  back  fleeced.  The  mine  operators  refused  to 
treat  with  the  labor  unions ;  little  by  little  the  miners 
left  camp,  and  at  the  proper  time  their  places  were 
supplied  by  non-union  men.  From  now  forward  the 
Rand  district  will  be  one  of  the  most  flourishing  in 
the  Southwest. 

There  is  one  other  mining  district  in  Kern  county 
that  cannot  be  overlooked — Mojave  district,  in  the 
western  part  of  the  county.  While  it  was  well  known 


SANTA  FE  BRIDGE  OVER  THE  MOJAVE  KIVER. 


98 


MEN  OI'  ACHIEVEMENT  IN    THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


to  many  mining-  men  that  the  district  contained  many 
rich  deposits  of  gold-bearing-  ore,  yet  not  much  atten- 
tion was  given  them,  and  but  little  upon  them  done. 
The  principal  reason  for  this  was  that  which  prevails 
in  so  many  other  mining  camps — lack  of  water  for 
mining  purposes.  Were  it  otherwise,  Nature  might 
be  properly  accused  of  being  over-liberal.  The  ore 
bodies  were  deposited,  but  man  was  left  to  provide 
ways  and  means  for  furnishing  the  water  necessary 
to  the  extraction  of  the  gold  and  other  metals  from 
the  ore.  In  the  Mojave  district  the  properties  on 
which  the  largest  development  has  been  done  and 


Southern  California,  during  the  past  twelve  months, 
that  are  indicative  of  their  existence  in  sufficiently 
large  quantity  as  will  pay  to  open  the  deposits  on  a 
commercial  scale.  Among  these  precious  stones  are 
spodumene  (kunzite,)  jacinth,  chrysoprase  and  tour- 
maline. Of  kunzite  (named  after  Dr.  George  Kunz, 
president  of  the  New  York  Mineralogical  Club,)  some 
very  excellent  specimens  have  been  found  in  San 
Diego  county,  so  good  that  they  have  received  the 
indorsement  of  the  more  prominent  jewelers  of  New 
York.  The  stone  is  of  delicate  lilac  color,  resembling 
that  of  pale  amethyst.  In  addition  to  its  being  an  at- 


VIEW  OF  THE  BAGDAD,  ROOSEVELT  AND  CHASE  MINES  IN      THE  RICH    BAGDAD  DISTRICT,  CALIFORNIA. 


which  are  being  successfully  operated,  are :  The 
Exposed  Treasure,  Queen  Esther,  Karma  and  Echo, 
the  latter  having  been  opened  up  by  G.  H.  Hooper 
of  Los  Angeles.  All  of  these  properties  are  equipped 
with  machinery  and  reduction  plants,  and,  now  that 
they  have  water,  are  proving  that  the  ores  of  the 
Mojave  district  can  be  profitably  worked. 

Another  branch  of  mining  that  is  assuming  some 
proportions  in  this  southwestern  region  is  that  of 
precious  stones,  and  which  is  fittingly  reserved  as  the 
conclusion  of  this  article.  There  have  been  some  dis- 
coveries of  gems  in  San  Diego  and  Riverside  counties, 


tractive  gem  stone  in  color  and  luster,  it  possesses 
the  neculiar  property  of  fluorescence.  Prof.  Basker- 
ville,  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  who  has 
taken  much  interest  in  this  new  gem,  states  that  ''  after 
being  exposed  to  ordinary  sunlight,  the  power  of 
fluorscence  is  apparent,  and  that  also  upon  exposure 
to  the  Roentgen  rays  for  a  period  of  five  minutes  a 
piece  of  kunzite  will  absorb  sufficient  radiance  to  pho- 
tograph itself  upon  a  piece  of  sensitive  paper  if  left  in 
a  dark  room,  remaining  slightly  self-luminous  for 
some  minutes."  This  will  form  a  portion  of  Cali- 
fornia's mineral  exhibit  at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition. 


-v 


MEN  Ol'  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


99 


THE  GOLD  ROADS  MINE. 


THE    list    of    Arizona    mines    published    two    years    ago 
contained   no   mention   of  the   Gold   Roads.     This  great 
property   was    then   an    undeveloped   prospect,   and   the 
millions   of   gold   which   are   hidden    in    its    veins   were  then 
unknown.     For  a  number  of  years  the  prospectors  of  King- 
man,   Arizona,   had   camped   upon    the   200   acres   comprising 
its  holdings,  never  dreaming  that  beneath  their  feet  was  one 


IN   THE  SAN    FRANCISCO    MINING   DISTRICT. 

of  the  richest  of  Nature's  depositories.  Indeed,  in  the  latter 
'6o's  soldiers  stationed  at  Fort  Mojave,  about  fourteen  miles 
from  the  property,  prospected  the  neighborhood  and  never 
stumbled  on  to  the  future  gold  producer.  And  now  the  Gold 
Roads  is  a  young  mine.  Its  production  dates  from  the 
second  of  June  of  the  past  year,  at  which  time  the  mill 
commenced  operations. 

The  history  of  the  discovery  of  the  Gold  Roads  mine  reads 
like  a  fable  from  some  fairy  tale.  Out  in  Arizona  it  is 
an  old  story  of  how  an  old  Mexican  prospector,  down  on 
his  luck,  secured  a  $12  grubstake  from  Henry  Lovin,  at 
that  time  sheriff  of  Mojave  county,  and  while  on  his  way 
over  the  range  to  the  flats  of  the  Colorado  river,  he  camped 
on  the  ridge  and  kicked  up  a  piece  of  float  that 
looked  good ;  of  how  the  old  Mexican  and  his  grubstaker 
each  realized  $25,000  cash  for  the  property,  the  sale  of  which 
was  negotiated  through  a  local  mining  promoter. 

The  Gold  Roads  Mining  and  Exploration  Company  was 
organized  by  Messrs.  O.  P.  Posey,  William  Bayly  and  Clar- 
ence McCornick,  all  of  whom  are  among  the  best  known 
mining  operators  in  the  West,  and  who  have  been  closely 
identified  with  extensive  mining  interests  for  many  years. 
While  these  gentlemen  acquired  possession  of  the  property  in 
September,  1901,  it  was  not  until  July,  1902,  that  the  present 
company  was  formed.  The  property  which  was  acquired  is 
situated  between  the  summit  of  a  ragged  range  of  hills  and 
the  valley  of  the  Colorado  river,  which  is  less  than  ten  miles 
distant  in  an  air  line.  It  lies  twenty-five  miles  southwest  'of 
Kingman,  Arizona,  and  an  equal  distance  northeast  of  the 
Needles,  California.  A  flourishing  little  camp  has  grown 
with  the  development  of  the  mine,  and  at  present  the  pop- 
ulation is  close  to  400.  The  total  acreage  of  the  company 
is  something  over  225  acres,  comprising  the  following  claims: 


the  Silver  Dollar,  Gold  Dollar,  Gold  Dollar  Extension, 
Houghton,  Gambler,  Robbin,  Tip  Top,  Climax,  Gold  Roads, 
Lime  Road  and  Billy  Bryan. 

The  Gold  Roads  is  pre-eminent  in  more  respects  than  one. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  and  modern  features  in  con- 
nection with  it  is  its  machinery  equipment.  In  both  the  mine 
and  mill  the  most  modern  and  perfect  mechanical  effects 
have  been  secured.  It  is  lighted  throughout  with  electricity, 
and  is  in  every  respect  a  modern  mine.  The  engine-room 
at  the  mill  houses  ten  gasoline  engines  with  a  combined 
horse-power  of  342,  while  a  54-horse-power  engine  is  in  use 
at  the  mine  to  supply  power  for  the  hoist.  Crude  oil  is  used 
for  fuel,  and  something  like  650  gallons  are  required  daily. 
This  has  proven  to  be  a  most  inexpensive  and  thoroughly 
satisfactory  fuel,  and  indeed,  were  it  not  for  its  use,  it  is  safe 
to  say  the  mine  could  not  be  operated  profitably  without 
railroad  connections. 

The  Gold  Roads  is  operated  through  a  double  compartment 
shaft  which  has  been  put  down  325  feet.  Three  levels  with 
extensive  drifting  has  been  done,  and  ore  is  being  milled 
from  all  parts  of  the  various  levels.  The  shaft  will  be  carried 
(o  a  depth  of  500  feet,  and  lower  levels  be  run  as  soon  as 
it  is  expedient.  The  shaft  is  equipped  with  a  double  cage, 
or  rather  a  skip,  into  which  the  ore  cars  are  emptied  on  the 
various  levels.  The  skip  is  self-operating,  and  upon  reach- 
ing the  surface  is  automatically  dumped  into  the  crusher, 
from  which  the  ore  is  emptied  into  the  bins  over  the  first 
tunnel.  In  detail  the  development  consists  of  a  2Og-foot 
drift  to  the  west  on  the  loo-foot  level,  and  a  26g-foot  drift 
to  the  east.  Both  are  with  the  ledge,  which  runs  20  degrees 
north  of  east.  On  the  second  level,  the  cast  drift  extends 
185  feet,  and  the  west  drift  248  feet.  Immense  amounts  of 
ore  have  been  knocked  down  in  all  the  levels,  especially  the 
third  level,  where  the  drifts  extend  230  feet  in  each  direction 
from  the  shaft.  As  the  ore  body  shows  an  average  width 


FIRST   SHAFT-HOUSE  ON   THE  GOLD  ROADS. 

of   twelve   feet  throughout   the   workings,   some   idea   of  the 
quantity  of  ore  blocked  out  may  be  gained. 

Without  an  exception  the  plant  is  one  of  the  most  com- 
pletely equipped  mines  and  mills  in  Arizona.  Not  only  is 
the  mill  well  arranged  to  insure  the  economical  handling  of 


100 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


ore,  but  the  machinery  installed  is  the  latest  and  most 
approved  pattern.  The  ore  reaches  the  mill  by  a  1400-1001 
track  from  the  mine,  and  is  dumped  into  the  mill  bins,  which 
have  a  capacity  of  200  tons.  From  the  ore  bins  the  ore 
works  by  gravity  through  the  entire  process,  no  handling 
being  necessary.  Passing  between  two  sets  of  revolving 
coarse  rolls  it  is  crushed  until  it  passes  through  a  quarter- 
inch  mesh.  From  there,  when  the  condition  of  the  ore 
requires  it,  it  passes  through  two  sets  of  revolving  driers, 
and  then  into  finishing  rolls,  40  x  60  inches  in  diameter.  The 
ore  then  passes  through  Colorado  impact  screens,  the  first 
being  a  16  mesh,  and  the  second  a  25  x  40  mesh.  Classification 
of  the  ore  is  made  while  it  is  in  suspension  in  the  screens, 


city,   and    the    Colorado    Iron   Works     of   Denver,    Colorado. 

Water  for  the  camp,  which  is  known  to  the  postal  authori- 
ties as  Acme,  Arizona,  is  pumped  from  Little  Meadows,  three 
miles  distant,  where  there  are  natural  springs  which  have 
been  used  by  travelers  over  the  old  trail  for  the  past  forty 
years.  A  large  pumping  plant  is  maintained  at  Little  Mead- 
ows, and  the  water  is  forced  through  a  two-inch  pipe  over  a 
75o-foot  rise  and  down  to  the  camp  at  the  rate  of  twenty 
gallons  per  minute,  which  is  ample  to  supply  the  camp,  mine 
and  mill.  In  the  event  of  a  larger  amount  of  water  being 
necessary,  it  could  be  secured  from  the  same  source. 

In  predicting  the  future  of  the  Gold  Roads,  it  is  only  nec- 
essary to  take  into  consideration  a  few  facts  to  establish 


(l)    GOLD    ROADS    MILL.       (2)    ORE    BINS   AND    TRAM.       (3)     WATER    TANKS.       (4)     HOIST. 


and  the  fines  that  are  taken  out  amount  to  less  than  10  per 
cent,  of  the  output  of  the  mill.  The  slimes  are  taken  out 
by  a  scries  of  suction  pipes  and  are  deposited  in  bins  that 
have  been  placed  in  the  canyon  below  the  mill.  After  the 
cyanide  tanks  have  been  partly  filled  with  coarse  pulp,  the 
slimes  are  then  taken  and  placed  on  top,  forming  a  blanket, 
and  the  leaching  begins.  There  are  sixteen  of  these  immense 
tanks,  and  the  distributing  is  done  by  a  Robbins  conveyor. 
The  machinery  for  the  mill,  which  is  in  charge  of  Fred 
Bailey,  a  millman  of  wide  experience  throughout  the  West, 
is  modern  in  every  particular,  and  was  designed  for  the 
Gold  Roads  company  by  the  Llewellyn  Iron  Works  of  this 


the  fact  that  as  a  producer  and  dividend  payer  the  mine  is 
still  in  its  infancy.  Of  the  225  acres  of  rich  mineral  land 
owned  by  the  company,  less  than  10  per  cent,  has  been 
exploited,  and  of  the  veins  and  ore  bodies  exposed  but  a 
comparatively  small  portion  has  averaged  less  than  the  body 
it  is  now  working  upon.  In  the  radius  of  the  present 
development  is  virgin  ground  of  sufficient  extent  to  occupy 
the  attention  of  the  company  for  years  to  come.  What  the 
future  has  in  store  for  the  Gold  Roads  no  one  can  definitely 
tell,  but  to  foresee  continued  and  increasing  greatness  for 
the  mine  does  not  require  the  scientific  vision  of  an  expert. 


FOR. 


mwnm. 


G.  H.  HOOPER. 


Gil.  HOOPER  is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  but 
t  at  one  year  of  age  was  taken  by  his  parents 
to  New  York  State,  where  he  was  edu- 
cated and  grew  to  manhood.  When  still  in  his  teens 
lie  accepted  a  position  with  the  Dixon  Crucible  Com- 
pany of  Jersey  City,  one  of  the  largest  concerns  of  its 
kind  in  the  United  States.  The  company  owns  its  own  mines 
of  graphite  in  the  northern  part  of  New  York  State,  and  for 
thirteen  years  Mr.  Hooper  mined  and  refined  all  the  domestic 
graphite  used  at  the  Jersey  City  plant,  and  he  is  yet  retained 
by  the  company  as  its  consult- 
ing engineer.  Here  it  was 
that  he  received  his  introduc- 
tion to  that  most  alluring  of  all 
pursuits — mining.  After  hav- 
ing spent  thirteen  years  in  the 
service  of  the  company  and  re- 
ceived a  knowledge  of  miner- 
alogy and  geology  that  was  ac- 
quired by  practical  experience, 
he  determined  upon  visiting  the 
West  and  investigating  for 
himself  the  possibilities  af- 
forded by  the  mineral  re- 
sources of  the  Southwest. 

Six  years  ago  he  commenced 
looking  over  sections  of  the 
West  for  a  suitable  mining 
property,  and  two  years  ago  he 
commenced  investigating  the 
region  around  Mojave.  He  has 
since  then  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  prosecuting  develop- 
ment work  on  the  properties 
which  he  acquired.  The  first 
property  he  purchased  was  the 
Echo  group  of  mines,  which  he 
secured  title  to  in  1901.  The 
following  year  he  purchased 
the  Gray  Eagle  group,  and 
merged  the  two  under  the  one 
title  of  the  Echo  Mining  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  is  president. 
Mr.  Hooper  arrived  at  a  time  when  the  Mojave  district  was 
literally  honeycombed  with  prospect  holes.  He  was  too  late 
to  stake  a  claim,  but  not  too  late  to  invest  in  claims  others 
had  staked,  and  the  business  judgment  of  years,  reinforced  by 
a  keen  discernment,  directed  him  wisely  in  the  selection  of 
properties.  The  first  properties  he  purchased  had  been  pro- 
ducers, the  Echo  having  shipped  over  $10,000  worth  of  ore, 
while  the  Gray  Eagle  had  also  entered  the  list  of  shipping 
mines  to  the  extent  of  some  $30,000.  He  was  successful  with 
his  promotion  from  the  start,  organizing  the  company  under 


o.  H.  HOOPER. 


the  laws  of  the  Territory  of  Arizona,  and  interesting  personal 
friends  in  the  East  in  the  company. 

Development  work  on  the  property  is  now  conducted 
through  a  tunnel  some  800  feet  in  length,  which  cuts  the  vein 
256  feet  from  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel.  A  mill  with  a  capacity 
of  thirty-five  tons  daily  is  in  operation  at  the  mine,  and  is 
proving  most  satisfactory.  Preparations  are  now  about  com- 
pleted for  the  addition  of  twenty  more  stamps  to  the  mill, 
and  cyanide  equipment,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000.  The  ore  is  free 
milling,  and  is  a  gold  and  silver  proposition,  that  coming 

from  the  Gray  Eagle  running 
about  three  ounces  of  silver 
to  an  ounce  of  gold,  while 
the  ore  from  the  Echo  group 
is  practically  free  from  any 
silver. 

The  water  problem,  which 
has  proven  so  difficult  a  sub- 
ject for  many  desert  com- 
panies, has  been  successfully 
solved  by  Mr.  Hooper,  Thom- 
son &  Boyle  and  the  Karma 
Company,  who  have  built  a 
four-inch  pipe  line  a  disatnce 
of  fifteen  and  a  half  miles 
and  brought  the  water  neces- 
sary for  mining  and  milling 
directly  to  the  mines  in  quan- 
tities sufficient  for  all  pur- 
poses. The  location  of  the 
company's  properties,  which 
consist  of  over  250  acres  of 
the  best  mineralized  section  of 
the  Mojave  district,  is  most 
accessible  to  the  railroad,  be- 
ing but  four  miles  from 
Mojave,  the  junction  of  two 
of  the  great  transcontinental 
lines,  while  freight  to  the 
mines  is  hauled  from  Fleta,  a 
station  on  the  Southern  Pa- 
cific, but  two  miles  from  the 
mine. 

M,r.  Hooper  came  to  Los  Angeles  from  a  successful  business 
career  in  the  East,  and  his  experience  has  proved  that  it  is 
not  so  much  mining  ore  as  correct  business  principles  that 
counts  in  mining.  In  floating  the  Echo  Mining  Company 
he  has  been  conservative  in  his  representations,  and  as  a 
result  the  stockholders  of  the  company,  which  is  a  close 
corporation,  have  reasons  to  congratulate  themselves.  Mr. 
Hooper  is  a  man  of  ability  and  keen  perception,  and  these 
qualities  have  combined  to  establish  an  enviable  reputation 
in  mining  circles  throughout  the  State. 


102 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  /A    THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


GEORGE  MITCHELL. 


IT  IS  a  noteworthy  fact  that  a  great  change  has  taken  place 
in  the  history  of  mines  and  mining  within  the  past  two 
decades.  Where  formerly  the  average  person's  conception 
of  a  "mine"  brpught  visions  of  gold,  today  the  well  informed 
listener  inquires,  "What  kind  of  a  mine  is  it?"  In  the  days 
of  the  Comstock  Lode  and  the  acquisition  of  wealth  by  the 
Sharons,  Mackays,  Floods,  O'Briens  and  other  of  the  early 
California  millionaires,  their  wealth  was  obtained  from  the 
apparently  exhaustless  silver  mines  of  the  Comstock.  Later 
mining  millionaires  were  known  as  "  gold  kings,"  while  today 
the  wealthiest  mining  men  of  the  United  States  are  "  copper 
kings."  Such  enormous  fortunes  as  those  accumulated  by  the 
late  Marcus  Daly,  Senator 
William  A.  Clark,  R  Au- 
gust Heinze  and  other  of 
the  Montana  mining  men 
were  amassed  in  the  pro- 
duction of  copper.  And 
while  Montana,  Arizona 
and  Michigan  have  long 
held  the  record  for  the 
copper-producing  States, 
much  capital  is  now  being 
directed  to  the  fabulously 
rich  deposits  of  this  metal 
just  across  the  interna- 
tional boundary  line  which 
separates  us  from  our  sis- 
ter Republic  to  the  south. 

Stories  of  the  wealth  of 
these  mines  are  legion,  and 
it  is  an  established  fact 
that  they  have  been  mined 
for  the  past  three  cen- 
turies. Undoubtedly  much 
of  the  wealth  of  the  Az- 
tecs came  from  famous 
producers,  but  among  the 
mining  men  of  the  day 
who  have  profited  by  their 
exploitation  and  success- 
ful treatment  of  their 
ores,  few  have  profited  to 
a  greater  degree  than 
George  Mitchell,  who  has 
in  the  course  of  less  than 
five  years  earned  recogni- 
tion among  such  copper 
magnates  as  Senator  W. 
A.  Clark,  F.  August 
Heinze,  and  others  of 

lesser  magnitude  in  mining  circles.  The  wonderful  success  of 
Mr.  Mitchell  has  not  been  due  to  a  practical  knowledge  of  Alin- 
ing. That  he  has  acquired  in  the  course  of  experience.  Not  the 
talent  and  skill  which  enter  into  the  detail,  but  the  genius  to 
select  and  direct  special  ability,  and  a  masterful  knowledge 
of  metallurgy,  which  enabled  him  to  find  a  way  of  treating 
and  fluxing  the  refractory  ores  that  had  defied  the  efforts  of 
the  most  capable  mining  experts  and  metallurgists  the  coun- 
try has  produced.  On  this  rare  gift  has  been  builded  the  great- 
ness of  his  mines. 

Since  early  boyhood  Mr.  Mitchell  has  been  associated  with 


more  or  less  mining  excitement,  and  at  his  birthplace  in 
Swansea,  Wales,  he  had  many  opportunities  to  become 
familiar  with  the  great  smelting  and  refining  concerns  of  that 
historic  city.  His  father  was  a  sea  captain,  and  the  family 
had  lived  in  Wales  for  generations.  As  a  lad  young  Mitchell 
attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city,  later  supple- 
menting this  with  a  course  at  the  Morgan  Chemical  School, 
of  Swansea,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  at  an  early 
age.  Soon  after  his  graduation  he  secured  a  position  as 
sampler  and  assistant  in  the  laboratory  of  a  copper,  silver  and 
nickel  works,  so  although  still  young  in  years,  it  can  readily 
be  seen  that  Mr.  Mitchell  is  ripe  in  experience,  for  at  a  time 

when  most  boys  of  his 
age  were  engaged  in  the 
elementary  studies,  he  had 
already  selected  and  was 
embarked  upon  the  career 
that  was  to  win  him 
wealth  and  influ  e  n  c  e. 
During  a  period  of  three 
years'  service  with  the 
company  he  steadily  ad- 
vanced and  filled  the  posi- 
tions of  smelter,  refiner 
and  reducer  of  gold,  cop- 
per and  nickel  in  the 
metallurgical  department 
of  the  works.  Subse- 
quently he  secured  em- 
ployment with  the  South 
Wales  Smelting  Company 
at  Swansea,  and  at  the  age 
of  twenty  was  in  com- 
plete charge  of  the  smelt- 
ing department  of  this  im- 
mense concern.  During 
this  period  of  time  young 
Mitchell  was  receiving  an 
insight  into  metallurgy 
which  proved  invaluable 
to  him  in  later  life.  His 
duties  gave  him  complete 
charge  of  the  testing  and 
refining  of  copper  ores, 
which  were  received  by 
the  smelter  from  practic- 
ally all  over  the  world, 
thus  giving  him  oppor- 
tunities to  become  familiar 
with  the  character  of  ores 
which  would  have  been 

denied  a  metallurgist  in  a  less  renowned  plant  than  that  in 
which  he  was  retained. 

The  same  opportunities  which  presented  him  with  samples 
of  ores  from  all  quarters  of  the  globe,  also  instilled  into  his 
breast  the  desire  to  see  the  mines  from  which  the  samples 
were  obtained,  and  accordingly,  in  1887,  he  determined  to 
visit  the  United  States.  Arriving  at  Baltimore  he  immedi- 
ately secured  recognition  as  a  metallurgist  of  ability,  and 
obtained  a  position  with  the  Baltimore  Copper  Works,  remain- 
ing in  charge  of  their  plant  for  a  year.  For  the  next  few 
years  he  was  identified  with  a  number  of  smelting  and 


GEORGE    MITCH  ELI, 


MEN  01'  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


103 


refining  plants  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  before  he 
finally  moved  to  Montana,  where  he  became  associated  with 
the  smelting  interests  of  that  great  copper  camp. 

Upon  the  erection  of  the  immense  plant  of  the  Boston- 
Montana  Copper  and  Silver  Mining  and  Smelting  Company 
at  Great  Falls,  he  assisted  in  the  construction  of  the  works, 
and  upon  its  completion  assumed  the  duties  of  assistant  super- 
intendent and  gtneral  foreman.  He  remained  with  these 
great  interests  until  1890,  when  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of 
Senator  W.  A.  Clark  he  consented  to  take  charge  of  his 
smelting  works  at  Jerome,  Arizona.  The  United  Verde,  with 
a  dividend  record  of  nearly  $25,000,000,  still  further  impressed 
upon  Mr.  Mitchell's  mind  the  great  possibilities  of  copper 
properties.  While  engaged  in  his  metallurgical  work  in  con- 
nection with  the  various  smelters,  his  inventive  genius  had 
wonderful  opportunity  for  action.  He  patented  refining  fur- 


before,  the  mines  had  been  worked  for  silver  by  the  Span- 
iards, and  the  slag,  rich  with  copper,  was  left  upon  the  dump. 
Marcus  Daly's  experts  and  W.  A.  Clark's  experts  had 
attempted  to  report  on  the  properties,  but  owing  to  imperfect 
titles  at  one  time,  and  the  inability  of  another  to  secure  the 
holdings  he  wished,  both  deals  fell  through.  Something  like 
fourteen  years  ago  a  representative  of  St.  Louis  capital  had 
erected  a  smelter  on  the  east  end  of  the  claims,  but  the  project 
was  abandoned  and  the  enterprise  failed.  Later,  along  came 
F.  August  Heinze,  fresh  from  his  successes  in  the  Northwest. 
He  reopened  the  plant  and,  too,  was  compelled  to  admit  his 
defeat.  The  truth  of  the  matter  has  since  been  demonstrated 
that  the  Cananea's  successful  working  was  a  metallurgical  and 
not  a  mining  problem.  It  remained  for  George  Mitchell,  with 
his  genius  and  technical  skill,  combined  with  his  perseverance 
and  practical  experience,  to  solve  the  solution  of  the  fluxing 


RESIDENCE  OF  GEORGE    MITCHELL. 


naces  and  refining  processes  that  are  in  use  by  such  great 
mining  properties  as  the  Copper  Queen  of  Arizona,  and  the 
famous  United  Verde  Mines  of  the  same  place,  while  in  his 
own  great  smelters  at  Cananea  they  are  also  in  general  use. 
These  inventions  have  proved  a  gratifying  source  of  revenue 
to  him,  as  well  as  a  process  which  he  invented  for  saving  the 
remelted  slags  from  the  ordinary  converters ;  he  also  invented 
a  steam  generator  which  is  being  operated  with  success  at  his 
•  Mexican  smelters. 

It  was  along  in  1897  that  Mr.  Mitchell  became  interested  on 
his  own  account  in  the  famous  Cananea  property,  and,  resign- 
ing his  position  at  the  United  Verde,  he  devoted  his  entire 
time  to  the  acquirement  of  the  claims  constituting  the  group. 
The  history  of  the  mines  reads  like  a  romance.  Centuries 


of  the  ores  of  this  ancient  old  bonanza  —  which  seemed  sim- 
ple when  it  was  announced  that  the  ores  of  the  east  and  west 
ends,  when  properly  mixed  in  the  right  proportion,  solved 
their  own  problem  of  smelting. 

Fallowing  the  acquisition  of  the  property,  and  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Cobre  Grande  Copper  Company  by  Mr.  Mitchell, 
was  a  series  of  law  suits  and  litigation  extending  over  a 
period  of  two  years  in  both  the  Mexican  and  the  United 
States  courts.  The  Cobre  Grande  Company,  failing  to  comply 
with  the  terms  of  its  agreement,  Mr.  Mitchell  had  the 
property  reconveyed  to  himself,  and  pooling  issues  with  W. 
C.  Greene,  who  had  acquired  large  holdings  in  the  Cananea, 
formed  the  present  Greene  Consolidated  Copper  Mining  Com- 
pany. 


104 


MEN  01-  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


The  reins  of  management  having  been  retained  by  Mr. 
Mitchell,  he  at  once  inaugurated  a  series  of  improvements 
which  involved  the  building  of  miles  of  mountain  roads  and 
trails  from  Naco,  the  nearest  town  on  this  side  the  line,  and 
later  a  railroad  to  the  property.  Immense  smelters  with  a 
daily  capacity  of  hundreds  of  tons  now  treat  the  ores  which 
baffled  the  skill  of  metallurgists  since  1618,  when  the  mines 
were  first  worked.  Mr.  Mitchell,  after  clearing  up  the  titles 
to  the  property,  commenced  an  acquisition  of  the  claims 
embraced  in  the  Cananea's  group,  which  have  demonstrated 
the  wisdom  of  the  action,  as  the  company  would  not  dispose 
of  them  today  for  a  very  large  sum. 

Mr.  Mitchell  had  attained  the  noon  of  life  when  he  was 
called  upon  to  administer  the  affairs  of  the  Cananea.  He 
had  traveled  extensively  and  had  come  in  contact  with  the 
most  successful  of  the  world's  mining  operators  and  experts. 
Travel  is  a  great  educator,  and  Mr.  Mitchell  has  been  an  apt 
student.  He  has  been  associated  with  the  greatest  mining 
experts  of  the  age,  and  has  personally  examined  and  studied 
the  veins  of  the  Andes,  the  Rockies  and  the  Cascades.  His 
investments  have  expanded  with  his  acquisition  of  wealth, 
and  today  they  extend  from  Alaska  to  Chile.  His  judgment 
of  the  value  of  a  mine  is  unerring.  His  fortune  has  been 
made  not  by  promoting  or  by  stock  speculation,  but  by  actual 
development  of  mines,  and  taking  metal  out  of  the  ground 
where  it  has  lain  since  the  beginning  of  time. 

Briefly  it  may  be  stated  that  Mr.  Mitchell  has  developed 
the  Santa  Rosalie  Gold  Mine  of  Sonora,  Mexico,  and  placed 
it  upon  the  list  of  dividend  payers.  This  famous  old  property 
is  credited  with  having  produced  over  $14,000,000,  and  that  by 
the  primitive  methods  in  vogue  hundreds  of  years  ago. 

While  Mr.  Mitchell's  mining  enterprises  in  the  past  have 
been  conducted  upon  a  gigantic  scale,  and  have  made  million- 
aires of  many  of  Mr.  Greene's  friends  and  associates,  his 
latest  exploitation,  The  Mitchell  Mining  Company,  or  as  the 
Mexican  corporation  is  known,  "  La  Dicha  Mining  and  Smelt- 
ing Company,"  promises  to  eclipse  in  value  the  famous 
Cananea  properties  two  to  one.  For  the  past  two  years  Mr. 
Mitchell  has  been  interested  in  the  properties  acquired  by  the 
company,  all  of  which  are  located  in  the  State  of  Guerrero, 
Mexico,  a  section  of  the  Republic  which  offers  greater  oppor- 
tunities for  capital  in  the  exploitation  of  its  undeveloped 
mineral  resources  than  any  portion  of  the  United  States.  The 
principal  properties  of  the  Mitchell  Mining  Company,  com- 
prising mining  and  timber  lands,  are  located  in  the  districts 
of  Bravos  and  Tavares,  bordering  immediately  upon  the  coast 
line  of  the  State  of  Guerrero,  and  lying  within  a  radius  of 
thirty-five  miles  of  the  port  of  Acapulco,  on  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

The  company  has  acquired  some  200,000  acres  of  timber 
lands  adjoining  its  mining  properties,  most  of  the  ground 
being  heavily  timbered  with  pine  and  oak,  making  an  ample 
supply  of  mining  timbers  readily  accessible,  and  sufficient  to 
insure  all  the  mining  timbers  that  may  be  required  for  the 
next  thirty  years.  The  mining  properties  of  the  company 
consist  of  what  is  known  as  the  La  Dicha  group,  titles  to 


which  have  been  granted  direct  from  the  government,  as  well 
as  several  hundred  "  pertenencias  "  under  denouncement,  title 
to  which  is  now  in  process  of  issue,  and  are  taken  over  by 
the  company  clear  of  debt.  They  consist  of  the  following 
groups:  La  Dicha,  20  pertenencias;  McKinley,  20;  Edward 
VII.,  12;  Odell,  152,  and  the  Hensey,  96  pertenencias;  a  total 
of  300  pertenencias,  or  an  area  of  1968  feet  in  width  by 
16,400  feet  in  length. 

These  various  locations  have  been  made  upon  a  continuous 
wide  vein  of  sulphide  ores,  and  can  be  traced  by  the  large 
outcroppings  for  the  full  length  of  the  property  of  16,400  feet. 
Probably  never  before  in  the  history  of  mining  properties  has 
there  been  such  great  natural  development,  the  vein  having 
been  exposed  in  five  different  places  by  a  river  and  its 
branches,  these  streams  cutting  the  vein  down  to  the  sul- 
phides to  a  depth  of  from  150  to  200  feet  below  the  apex  of 
the  iron  croppings  and  showing  a  width  of  175  to  200  feet. 

Since  Mr.  Mitchell  became  interested  in  the  property  he 
has  expended  over  $300,000  in  developing  the  same  and  estab- 
lishing permanent  quarters  at  the  mine.  Development  work 
has  been  prosecuted  through  nine  tunnels  and  four  shafts, 
making  in  all  over  2500  feet  of  development  work  on  the 
property.  A  force  of  between  two  and  three  hundred  men 
is  constantly  upon  the  company's  pay  roll,  and  Mr.  Mitchell 
with  characteristic  vigor  and  enterprise  is  delving  into  the 
property  with  the  object  of  getting  it  upon  a  dividend-paying 
.basis.  Millions  of  dollars  worth  of  ore  is  in  sight,  and 
reports  of  mining  experts  of  national  reputation  corroborate 
the  report  made  by  the  eminent  geologist,  Mr.  Robert  T.  Hill, 
of  Washington,  D.  C.,  who  in  December  of  last  year  made  an 
exhaustive  examination  of  the  property. 

The  company  owns  an  i8,ooo-acre  plantation  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  its  mining  property  on  which  it  has  herds 
of  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep,  it  being  the  purpose  of  the 
management  to  supply  the  camp  with  fresh  meat  from  its 
own  ranch.  Pineapples,  bananas,  limes,  grapes  and  all  tropi- 
cal fruits  grow  in  abundance  upon  the  plantation,  and  its 
possibilities  are  almost  unlimited. 

The  officers  of  the  Mitchell  Mining  Company  are  among  the 
best  known  mining,  financial  and  professional  men  of  the 
country,  men  whose  names  are  associated  with  gigantic  and 
successful  enterprises.  Mr.  Mitchell  is  president  and  treas- 
urer of  the  company,  and  administers  its  affairs.  His  reputa- 
tion as  a  copper  expert  is  international,  and  he  may  properly 
be  classed  with  the  "  copper  kings  "  of  the  world. 

His  interests  are  not  confined  to  his  Mexican  mines,  for 
he  is  heavily  interested  in  Los  Angeles  realty,  and  owns  one 
of  the  city's  most  attractive  homes,  located  in  the  midst  of 
spacious  grounds  and  a  profusion  of  tropical  foliage.  His 
business  requires  his  time  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
but  his  family  make  this  their  permanent  home.  All  of  Mr. 
Mitchell's  investments  seem  to  have  wooed  and  won  the  smile 
of  Dame  Fortune,  and  his  success  has  been  little  short  of 
phenomenal. 


MSN  01'  ACHIEVEMENT  /AT  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


105 


NILS  OLOF  BAGGE. 


IT  HAS  been  urged  against  mining  by  the  novitiate  that 
one  has  to  be  the  "  early  "  bird  to  reap  a  harvest  of  gold. 
No  impression  could  be  more  erroneous,  as  has  been 
demonstrated  beyond  dispute  by  countless  instances  to  the 
contrary  in  the  mining  history  of  the  Great  Southwest;  and 
residents  of  Los  Angeles  do  not  have  to  go  beyond  their  own 
dooryard  for  convincing  evidence  that  every  day  has  its 
opportunities,  and  that  they  are  not  reserved  for  the  "  lucky  " 
man  more  than  for  the  conservative  and  far-seeing  investor. 
Especially  is  this  true  of  quartz  mining,  where  extensive 
development  is  required  to  exploit  a  mine,  and  even  in  the 
case  of  placers  the  successful  working  of  abandoned  ground 
is  of  frequent  occurrence. 
Among  the  striking  exam- 
ples afforded  by  the  little 
colony  of  mining  men  in 
this  city  substantiating  the 
preceding  assertions,  few 
better  individual  instances 
could  be  quoted  than  the 
following  career  of  the 
gentleman  whose  name  will 
be  recognized  at  the  head 
of  this  article. 

A  native  of  Gothenberg, 
on  the  west  coast  of 
Sweden,  N.  O.  Bagge  com- 
menced life  but  thirty-four 
years  ago.  He  early  evinced 
a  fondness  for  study,  and 
before  leaving  his  teens  had 
graduated  from  the  princi- 
pal home  college,  with  the 
sole  idea  of  emigrating  to 
this  country,  having  become 
impressed  with  the  greater 
opportunities  afforded  here, 
and  he  accordingly  arrived 
in  New  York  City  in  1888. 

His  technical  knowledge 
served  him  in  good  stead, 
when  he  was  first  called 
upon  to  visit  Southern  Ari- 
zona and  make  a  report 
upon  some  properties  there 
in  the  interest  of  Eastern 
clients.  Being  a  member 
of  the  American  Institute 
of  Mining  Engineers,  he 
was  brought  into  close 
touch  with  mining  men, 
and  afforded  many  opportunities  for  profitable  investment. 

Realizing  the  possibilities  of  American  capital  and  push  in 
Old  Mexico  (having  had  the  matter  of  labor,  particularly, 
brought  forcibly  to  his  attention)  ;  he  has  therefore  kept  two 
competent  mining  engineers  and  experts  in  the  field  there, 
hunting  up  desirable  properties  for  development.  Mr.  D.  W. 
Shanks  of  this  city,  one  of  the  engineers  in  Mr.  Bagge's 
employ,  reported  most  favorably  on  their  property,  consisting 
of  319  pertenencias,  or  Mexican  mining  claims,  and  upon  vis- 
iting the  property  and  personally  examining  it,  Mr.  Bagge 
purchased  the  claims. 

For  years,  the  Parral  branch  of  the  Mexican  Central  Rail 


NILS    OLOF   BAGGE 


road  has  borne  past  this  mountain  range  mine-seekers  from 
the  States  bound  for  Parra!  or  points  far  away  in  the  Sierras. 
Twenty  miles  from  Jimenez,  Sierra  de  Almoloya  looms  up 
to  the  left  of  the  railroad,  and  about  four  miles  distant  from 
the  nearest  station,  and  at  thirty  miles  it  has  passed  from 
view. 

Thirty-five  years  ago,  the  old  Spanish  adobe  smelters,  in 
treating  the  lead  ores  of  the  Santa  Barbara  district,  sent  their 
pack  trains  of  burros  to  the  prospect  holes  of  this  mountain, 
esteeming  the  low-grade  surface  ores  of  high  value  for  flux- 
ing, by  reason  of  the  large  percentage  of  iron  in  them,  not 

dreaming  at  the  time  of  the 
valuable  high-grade  ores 
immediately  under  their 
feet.  Shallow  holes  were 
sunk  in  the  mountain  side, 
but  before  any  depth  was 
had.  the  adobe  smelter  was 
a  thing  of  the  past,  and 
with  it  was  forgotten  the 
Sierra  de  Almoloya.  Peo- 
ple were  looking  for  pros- 
pects less  accessible. 

For  two  years  more  the 
coyote  held  undisputed 
sway  in  these  mountains, 
and  it  remained  for  a  Mex- 
ican mining  engineer  to 
uncover  the  treasure. 

The  Sierra  de  Almoloya 
lies  in  the  great  lime  belt 
that  skirts  the  eastern  base 
of  the  Sierra  Madre.  It 
is  the  same  belt  in  which 
are  found  the  famous  mines 
of  Santa  Eulalia,  Mapimi, 
Terrazas  andt  Sierra  Mo- 
jada,  which  have  yielded 
and  still  yield  millions 
every  year.  In  none  of 
these  camps,  justly  famous 
as  they  are,  do  the  ores 
carry  such  values  in  gold 
as  are  found  in  the  Sierra 
de  Almoloya,  which  is  des- 
tined to  take  rank  with  the 
traditional  mines  of  olden 
Mexico,  which,  pouring 
forth  their  riches  into  the 
waiting  laps  of  the  Spanish  invaders,  marked  the  golden  age 
in  Mexican  history. 

In  addition  to  maintaining  an  office  in  this  city,  Mr.  Bagge 
still  retains  his  New  York  connections  and  office,  and  is 
engaged  in  working  and  developing  numerous  other  properties 
in  Arizona  and  Mexico,  besides  the  two  mentioned. 

Mr.  Bagge  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  great  future  of  Los 
Angeles,  and  backs  his  opinions  by  having  large  real  estate 
and  other  interests  here.  He  owns  one  of  the  city's  most 
artistic  and  attractive  homes,  located  in  the  most  exclusive 
residence  portion  of  Los  Angeles.  The  grounds  abound  in 
a  wealth  of  tropical  trees,  shrubs  and  climbing  vines. 


106 


MSN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


STEPHEN  W.  DORSEY 


STEPHEN  W.  DORSEY  is  a  native  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  and  passed  his  boyhood  and  early 
manhood  among  the  hills  of  his  native  State.  In  1861, 
at  the  commencement  of  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  as  .1 
private  in  the  First  Ohio  Infantry.  After  serving  his  country 
with  distinction  during  the  four  years  of  the  war,  he  was 
mustered  out  with  the  rank  of  colonel  in  the  army.  His 
experience  while  serving  in  the  army  under  Tom  Scott,  one 
of  the  Assistant  Secretaries  of  War,  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  transportation  of  troops  and  supplies,  had  directed  his 
attention  to  the  possibilities  of  a  railroad  career.  At  the 
close  of  the  war,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Scott,  at  that  time 
president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  he  became  identified 
with  the  reorganization  and  construction  of  the  lines  which 
had  become  demoralized  during  the  four  years  of  carnage 
just  closed.  Mr.  Dorsey  continued  his  connection  with  Mr. 
Scott  in  the  Southwest  for  several  years. 

When  the  Texas  and  Pacific,  Little  Rock  and  Ft.  Smith, 
and  Arkansas  Central  railroads  were  organized,  Mr.  Dorsey 
took  an  active  part  in  the  incorporation 
and  construction  of  all  these  roads, 
moving  to  Arkansas  to  devote  his  en- 
tire time  to  the  prosecution  of  the  en- 
terprises. These  railroads  are  today  the 
great  trunk  lines  of  the  States  they 
traverse,  and  stand  a  lasting  monument 
to  the  untiring  efforts  and  persevering 
genius  of  their  builders. 

Mr.  Dorsey  was  ever  mindful  of  the 
duties  of  good  citizenship,  and  despite 
the  responsibilities  devolving  upon  him, 
was  a  member  of  the  Republican  Na- 
tional Committee  for  the  five  successive 
campaigns  commencing  with  that  of 
1868.  During  a  large  portion  of  this 
time  he  served  as  chairman  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee.  His  political  career, 
with  its  attendant  successes,  is  well 
known.  His  presence  has  been  felt  upon 
the  floor  of  the  United  States  Senate 
for  the  full  term  of  six  years,  and  his 
record  was  one  of  pride  to  his  con- 
stituency. 

Mr.  Dorsey  commenced  to  devote  his  attention  to  mining 
as  early  as  1873.  In  connection  with  the  late  Senator  Chaffee 
of  Colorado,  he  acquired  interests  at  Central  City,  and  the 
excitement  of  Leadville's  discovery  in  1878  found  represent- 
atives of  Senators  Dorsey  and  Chaffee  on  the  ground. 
Silver  Cliff,  and  the  great  Colorado  silver  camp,  Aspen, 
have  also  claimed  a  share  of  his  time  and  attention.  When 
the  Cripple  Creek  discoveries  were  made  in  1891,  Mr.  Dorsey 
was  early  upon  the  territory  and  acquired  claims  and  prop- 
erties that  he  still  retains  an  interest  in.  His  Colorado 
mining  enterprises,  in  fact,  covered  all  the  principal  camps 
of  the  State,  and  covered  a  period  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  In  most  of  his  mining  operations  he  has  acted 
independently,  and  the  measure  of  success  he  has  attained 
must  be  credited  to  his  individual  and  personal  efforts. 

From  Colorado  Mr.  Dorsey  became  interested  in  the  mines 
of  the  Great  Southwest,  where  for  the  past  eight  years  he 
has  been  one  of  the  heaviest  and  most  energetic  operators. 
He  has  invested  his  own  private  fortune  in  the  development 


STEPHEN     VV.     DORSEY. 


of  properties,  his  ventures  proving  successful.  Becoming 
impressed  with  the  possibilities  and  undeveloped  resources 
of  this  section  of  the  country,  he  resolved  to  make  his  home 
here  in  order  to  more  satisfactorily  attend  to  his  investments. 
Disposing  of  some  of  his  Colorado  interests  about  a  year 
and  a  half  ago  he  came  to  Los  Angeles,  and  has  since  made 
his  home  in  this  city.  The  family  residence,  at  2619  Figueroa 
street,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  city,  famed  for  its 
handsome  homes,  while  the  grounds  surrounding  the  resi- 
dence are  large,  and  set  with  tropical  trees,  shrubs  and 
flowers,  with  a  lawn  that  might  well  be  the  envy  of  those 
living  in  a  less  favored  climate.  The  accompanying  illus- 
trations will  demonstrate  the  beauties  and  extent  of  the 
grounds  in  a  most  striking  manner. 

The  first  California  mining  venture  of  any  moment  to 
claim  his  attention  was  the  California  King.  The  property 
was  a  low  grade  proposition  of  great  magnitude.  After 
having  developed  the  property  and  placed  it  upon  a  shipping 
basis,  he  disposed  of  his  interests  for  a  handsome  sum.  The 
mine  is  today  one  of  the  best  produc- 
ers in  that  section  of  the  State.  Since 
the  consummation  of  that  deal,  Mr. 
Dorsey  has  been  acquiring  large  hold- 
ings in  various  portions  of  Southern 
California  and  Arizona,  and  is  expend- 
ing generous  sums  in  developing  the 
same.  He  is  interested  in  the  Rands- 
burg  camp,  and  is  also  identified  with 
the  Johannesburg  Gold  Mines  Company, 
located  near  the  camp  of  that  name. 
Among  the  most  recent  of  his  invest- 
ments, and  one  of  particular  promise, 
is  that  of  the  Sierra  Grande  Gold  Mines 
Company,  located  in  the  Bagdad  dis- 
trict, just  off  the  main  line  of  the  Santa 
Fe  Railroad,  but  connected  with  it  by  a 
branch  line  ten  miles  in  length,  which 
joins  the  Santa  Fe  at  Ludlovv.  The 
company  owns  forty-three  mining  claims 
in  the  center  of  the  richly  mineralized 
zone  of  that  district.  Ex-United  States 
Senator  John  P.  Jones  is  president  of 
the  company,  while  associated  with  it  is 

Lionel  A.  Sheldon,  former  Governor  of  New  Mexico,  as 
well  as  mining  men,  bankers  and  business  men  of  substantial 
character  and  undoubted  business  ability  and  financial  re- 
sources. In  Arizona  among  other  properties  of  promise  may 
be  mentioned  the  Gold  Roads  Extension  Company,  which 
owns  claims  on  the  vein  adjoining  those  now  being  so  success- 
fully operated  by  the  Gold  Roads  Mines  and  Exploration 
Company  of  this  city. 

Mr.  Dorsey's  liberal  investments  have  contributed  much 
to  the  growth  and  development  of  the  entire  Southwest;  but 
however  much  he  could  do  through  the  direct  outlay  of 
capital,  it  could  not  equal  the  service  he  has  rendered  Cali- 
fornia in  bringing  her  resources  to  the  attention  of  the  mining 
and  financial  world.  Mr.  Dorsey  has  acquired  his  wealth  by 
a  display  of  business  ability  of  the  highest  order.  He  is  a 
man  of  fine  personality,  as  well  as  business  acumen,  and  dis- 
charges the  duties  of  citizenship  in  all  its  capacities  with  the 
utmost  honor. 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  /A"   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


107 


SENATOR    STEPHEN    W.    DORSEY'S   RESIDENCE   AND   GROUNDS. 


108 


MSN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


JOHN  SINGLETON. 


"H 


E  STRUCK  it  rich."  What  other  calling  than 
mining  evokes  such  an  expression  in  reference  to 
its  successful  members?  If  a  man  accumulates 
fortune  in  mercantile  pursuits,  he  is  accounted  astute;  if  he 
attains  eminence  in  the  professions,  he  is  robed  in  brilliancy ; 
if  invention  yields  him  fame,  he  is  a  genius  —  it  is  only  the 
mining  man  who  is  the  "  lucky  cuss."  Yet  the  careers  of 
most  of  the  mining  men  of  California  would  indicate  that 
ability  had  quite  as  much  to  do  with  successful  mining  as 
luck,  and  of  those  who  have  won  wealth  and  prominence  in 
the  Great  Southwest  few  will  be  found  on  the  fools'  register. 
John  Singleton  is  not  a  mere  lucky  adventurer  who  quit 
some  other  occupation 
and  "  struck  it  rich  "  by 
a  happy  mining  accident. 
He  was,  and  is,  a  miner, 
first,  last  and  all  the 
time.  When  Gen.  Law- 
ton  was  introduced  to  a 
shouting  crowd,  he  said, 
with  a  touch  of  pathos, 
"  I  am  not  a  hero,  I  am 
only  a  regular."  John 
Singleton  is  only  ;i 
miner.  He  is  a  profes- 
sional miner,  one  bred 
to  the  vocation ;  one 
who  entered  upon  his 
life  work  in  his  youth, 
and  who,  after  devoting 
over  thirty  years  of  in- 
telligent study  and  effort 
to  the  work,  has  had 
and  gratifying 

He      has      not 
achieved'    great 

he  has  won 
fame  as  well,  and  he 
will  live  in  our  history 
as  the  ideal  miner.  In- 
deed, he  is  the  pioneer 
of  the  typical  miner  of 
the  future,  for,  although 
he  did  not  have  the  tech- 
nical education  of  the 
mining  school  to  com- 
mence with,  he  was 
compelled  to  acquire  in 
the  course  of  his  prac- 
tical development,  almost 
all  the  scientific  knowl- 
edge which  mining 
schools  now  teach,  and  which  is  indispensable  to  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  mining  industry.  The  first  generation  of 
miners  which  overran  the  mining  regions  had  for  its  historic 
figures  the  heroes  of  the  lucky  finds ;  the  new  generation  will 
be  distinguished  by  its  scientific  miners,  whose  keen  knowl- 
edge of  the  geological  formations,  combined  with  practical 
business  acumen,  will  enable  them  to  do  what  John  Singleton 
did,  and  find  fortunes  in  rocks  that  had  been  prospected  in 
vain  by  the  unscientific  for  years. 

A  native   of   Sunny   Tennessee,  John    Singleton   began   life 
in  1847.     Here  he  attended  the  common  schools  and  received 


ample 
success, 
merely 
wealth ; 


JOHN   SINGU.TON. 


his  early  education,  later  supplementing  it  at  Eastern  insti- 
tutions of  learning.  Upon  the  completion  of  his  education, 
and  having  reached  man's  estate,  he  accepted  a  position  in  the 
cotton  brokerage  office  of  a  wealthy  uncle  in  Texas.  Here 
he  remained  some  time,  gaining  an  invaluable  general  knowl- 
edge of  business  methods,  all  of  which  was  to  prove  useful  to 
him  in  later  life.  In  the  fall  of  '69  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
was  completed,  and  that  and  the  following  year  marked  one 
of  the  greatest  mining  excitements  of  the  period  —  the  White 
Pine  rush  into  Nevada.  Young  Singleton  became  infused 
with  the  fever  and  joined  the  throng  seeking  fortunes  in  the 
far  West.  He  did  not  stop  in  Nevada,  however,  but  came 

directly  through  to  Cali- 
fornia, the  State  of  his 
adoption,  where  he  be- 
came at  once  actively  in- 
terested in  quartz  min- 
ing, and  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  practical 
experience  to  which  he 
owes  so  much  of  his 
subsequent  success.  It  is 
not  the  purpose  to  fol- 
low his  career  through 
the  dozen  or  more 
camps  that  claimed  his 
attention  previous  to  his 
locating  the  famous  bo- 
nanza of  the  Randsburg 
district,  but  we  may  say 
briefly  that  his  experi- 
ence was  that  of  hun- 
dreds of  other  Western 
mining  men  who  have, 
in  the  course  of  their 
experience,  made  and 
lost  a  score  of  fortunes, 
and  braved  the  dangers 
of  the  frontier  troubles 
of  that  time.  The  Amer- 
ican mining  man  of 
moderate  resources  is  a 
born  plunger,  and  it  is 
through  his  fearless  in- 
vestment that  the  min- 
eral wealth  of  the  coun- 
try has  been  exploited 
and  opened  up;  and,  in- 
cidentally, that  many  in- 
dividual instances  are  re- 
corded where  prominent 
mining  men  have  found 
themselves  once  more  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder.  But  hope 
and  perseverance  are  virtues  with  which  the»  miner  has  been 
liberally  endowed,  and  temporary  reverses  are  but  mile- 
stones in  his  checkered  career.  So  with  Mr.  Singleton. 
He  had  made  and  lost  considerable  sums  without  attaining 
that  measure  of  wealth  to  create  in  him  the  spirit  of 
conservatism  dominating  other  fields  of  enterprise ;  but 
his  time  had  been  most  profitably  improved  under  the 
tutelage  of  the  greatest  of  masters  —  experience  —  and  he 
was  amply  equipped  for  the  exercise  of  sound  knowledge 
in  all  subsequent  demands  upon  his  judgment.  Those 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


109 


demands  came  upon  his  entry  to  the  Randsburg  district. 
In  company  with  C.  A.  Burcham  and  F.  M.  Mooers,  he 
located  the  world-renowned  Yellow  Aster  mine  on  the  22d 
day  of  April,  1895.  They  commenced  work  upon  the  property 
at  once,  although  under  great  difficulties,  as  all  the  water 
used  had  to  be  hauled  over  twelve  miles  to  the  camp.  Mr. 
Singleton  demonstrated  the  value  of  his  practical  experience 
by  locating  over  265  acres  of  quartz  claims  and  about  100 
acres  of  placer  claims.  The  story  of  the  famous  Yellow 
Aster,  the  mine  which  has  produced  millions  in  a  period  of 


Labor  disturbances  in  the  summer  of  1903  seriously  retarded, 
for  a  time,  the  great  mine's  production,  but  with  a  steady 
hand  the  affairs  of  the  company  were  guided  over  the  threat- 
ening times,  and  the  Yellow  Aster  is  now,  and  has  for  many 
months  been,  worked  to  its  utmost  capacity. 

Mr.  Singleton  has  made  his  home  in  Los  Angeles  for  the 
past  few  years,  and  has  one  of  the  most  beautiful  homes  in 
this  city.  "  Singleton  Court "  is  one  of  the  show  places  of 
the  city.  The  grounds  are  extensive  and  beautifully  cared 
for,  and  are  filled  with  many  rare  specimens  of  tropical  and 


SINGLETON    COURT. 


less  than  eight  years,  is  told  elsewhere  in  this  magazine.  A 
wealth  of  illustrations  will  speak  better  than  words  for  the 
money  that  has  been  expended  in  improving  the  property. 
The  discovery  of  the  Yellow  Aster  marked  an  epoch  in  the 
history  of  mining  in  Southern  California.  While  mines  had 
licen  opened  in  various  districts  in  the  southern  portion  of 
the  State,  up  to  the  discovery  of  the  Yellow  Aster  no  bonanza 
could  be  boasted  of.  The  immense  sums  of  money  that  have 
beer  expended  on  the  property  came  from  the  mine  itself, 
which  has,  under  the  judicious  management  of  Mr.  Singleton 
and  his  partners,  become  one  of  the  great  mines  of  the  State. 


semi-tropical  trees,  shrubs  and  plants.  Mr.  Singleton  is  not 
a  plunger.  He  is  the  possessor  of  vast  interests,  admitting 
and  demanding  the  utmost  conservatism,  and  he  has  risen  to 
the  occasion.  He  is  reinforced  by  his  wide  experience  in 
mining,  and  the  history  of  his  mining  assets  is  a  history  of 
growth  under  the  influence  of  sagacious  and  successful  man- 
agement. John  Singleton  is  courteous  and  unassuming  in 
manner,  and  impresses  one  as  a  man  of  modest  and  intrinsic 
worth.  His  deeds  reflect  the  big-hearted  generosity  which  is 
the  heritage  of  the  West,  and  much  is  owed  to  his  liberality 
and  enterprise  that  never  reaches  the  public  ear. 


110 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


H.  M.  RUSSELL. 


AMONG  the  little  colony  of  men  in  this  city  who  have 
been  instrumental  in  developing  the  mines  of  not  only 
this,  but  adjoining  States,  with  their  own  private  capital, 
and  interesting  that  of  others,  few  have  accomplished  more 
or  worked  in  a  broader  field  than  the  gentleman  whose  name 
appears  at  the  head  of  this  article.  Through  his  efforts  the 
firm  of  Douglas,  Lacey  &  Co.,  the  well-known  bankers  and 
brokers  of  New  York  City,  has  become  interested  in  the 
great  Southwest,  and  is  now,  under  the  direction  of  Maj. 
Russell,  actively  engaged  in  the  development  and  operation  of 
a  number  of  mining  companies  and  oil  companies  whose  field 
of  operation  extends  from  Alaska  to  the  Republic  of  Mexico. 

The  careers  of  the  mining  men  of  Los  Angeles  furnish 
some  of  the  country's  most 
interesting  bits  of  personal 
history.  That  of  Maj.  H. 
M.  Russell  is  no  exception 
to  the  general  rule.  From 
the  time  he  attained  his  ma- 
jority he  has  been  living  in 
the  adventurous  atmosphere 
of  a  mining  camp,  and  be- 
ing constantly  associated 
with  mining  men  it  is  not 
surprising  that  we  find  his 
life  has  been  devoted  to  the 
following  of  this  most  al- 
luring of  all  pursuits.  He 
owes  his  nativity  to  the 
Empire  State,  having  been 
born  fifty-seven  years  ago 
in  Jamestown,  N.  Y.  At 
the  age  of  twenty  he  left 
home  and  headed  his  bark 
of  fortune  toward  Colorado, 
in  which  State  he  arrived 
in  1865,  when  Denver  was 
little  more  than  a  frontier 
town  and  miles  from  a  rail- 
road. In  the  latter  '6o's 
Boulder  and  Gilpin  counties 
were  the  scenes  of  intense 
mining  excitement,  and  at- 
tracted thither  by  reports  of 
the  remarkable  discoveries, 
young  Russell  soon  became 
familiar  with  the  topograph- 
ical and  geological  forma- 
tion of  a  large  portion  of 
those  and  adjoining  dis- 
tricts. 

In  1878,  when  reports  of  the  famous  Leadville  strikes 
reached  his  ears,  Mr.  Russell  was  early  on  the  ground.  He 
remained  in  that  camp  for  some  time,  going  from  there  to 
the  Gunnison  country  with  a  number  of  associates.  He 
relates  many  amusing  experiences  in  the  various  camps  of 
the  State,  and,  as  well,  many  that  were  severe  tests  of  the 
nerve  of  the  man.  In  entering  the  Gunnison  country  in  the 
winter  of  '79  he  found  it  necessary  to  tunnel  a  distance  of 
400  feet  through  the  snow  in  order  to  cross  a  slide  that 
had  rendered  the  trail  impassable.  These  and  many  more 
narratives  equally  as  venturesome  are  among  the  rem- 


MAJ.    H.    M.    RUSSELL. 


iniscences  he  has  of  Colorado  in  the  early  days. 
A  feature  of  his  experience  in  which  he  takes  a  praise- 
worthy pride,  and  one  that  was  destined  to  be  of  inestimable 
value  to  him  in  later  years,  was  the  apprenticeship  he  served, 
working  on  his  own  properties  with  pick  and  shovel,  for  it 
is  to  the  practical  lessons  learned  in  this  manner  that  he 
largely  attributes  his  great  success  in  the  management  and 
development  of  properties.  It  is  from  this  practical  schooling 
gained  from  the  thousand-foot  level  to  the  surface,  that  Maj. 
Russell  is  indebted  for  his  knowledge  of  mining  and  metal- 
lurgy. For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Russell  mined  and  pros- 
pected throughout  Nevada  and  various  parts  of  New  Mexico 
and  Arizona,  before  becoming  interested  in  the  Sister 

Republic  to  the  south.  In 
1887,  in  company  with  bus- 
iness associates  of  Los  An- 
geles, he  purchased  what 
was  known  as  the  Aurora 
claim  in  Alamo  Camp, 
Lower  California.  T  h  e 
prospect,  for  the  develop- 
ment work  at  that  time  con- 
sisted of  a  twenty-eight- 
foot  shaft,  is  located  about 
seventy  miles  inland  from 
Ensenada,  and  in  a  rich, 
mineralized  zone.  Devel- 
opment disclosed  a  ledge  of 
free  gold,  which  made  aver- 
age assays  that  demon- 
strated its  richness.  He  at 
once  organized  the  Aurora 
Gold  Mining  Company,  and 
active  development  work 
was  at  once  begun.  A  pol- 
icy of  expansion  was  in- 
augurated, and  the  com- 
pany secured  s  i  x  t  y-t  w  o 
mines  and  claims  in  the  sur- 
rounding territory.  Maj. 
Russell  was  not  slow  to 
recognize  the  fact  that 
the  claims  immediately  sur- 
rounding the  Aurora  were 
desirable  assets,  and  later 
developments  proved  the 
correctness  of  his  theories 
that  they  carried  exception- 
ally high  values.  Among 
the  properties  he  acquired 
at  that  time  was  the  Ster- 
ling group  of  mines,  which  had  been  producers,  but  owing 
to  bad  management  and  inadequate  facilities  for  prosecuting 
the  work  upon  the  lower  levels,  the  mines  had  lost  prestige 
and  the  Major  secured  them  at  a  reasonable  figure. 

This  is  the  first  property  that  Maj.  Russell  interested  the 
firm  of  Douglas,  Lacey  &  Co.  in,  and  the  success  which 
has  attended  their  connection  with  this  property,  operated 
under  the  direction  of  Maj.  Russell,  has  prompted  them  to 
act  upon  his  advice  in  numerous  other  deals  which  have 
proven  mutually  profitable  to  all  the  stockholders.  For  the 
past  year  the  Aurora  Gold  Mining  and  Milling  Company 


MEN  or  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


Ill 


has  been  paying  regular  dividends  of  12  per  cent.  The  first 
dividend  paid,  shortly  after  the  reorganization  of  the 
company  in  January,  1901,  amounted  to  40  per  cent,  of  tht 
investment,  thus  demonstrating  Maj.  Russell's  success  as 
a  manager.  Among  the  stockholders  in  the  company  are 
some  of  the  best  known  financiers  of  the  East,  some  of  whom 
arc  identified  with  the  United  States  Steel  Corporation,  and 
are  men  whose  business  experience  is  especially  ripe. 

The  success  which  attended  the  operation  of  the  Aurora 
stimulated  the  Major  to  organize  the  Viznaga  Mining  Com- 
pany under  the  auspices  of  Douglas,  Lacey  &  Co.  The 
property  is  situated  in  the  same  locality  as  the  Aurora,  and 
had  been  owned  and  operated  by  him  for  some  time  previous 
to  the  change  in  organization.  It  has  a  large  acreage, 
and  under  the  process  of  exploitation  and  development  now 
in  force,  is  being  rapidly  placed  in  excellent  condition. 
Following  the  incorporation  of  the  Viznaga  mine,  Douglas, 
Lacey  &  Co.  became  interested  through  Maj.  Russell  in 
the  oil  industry  of  this  section,  and  have  now  been  operating 
in  the  local  fields  for  over  two  years.  The  Union  Consoli- 
dated Oil  Company  was  formed  and  commenced  active 
development  work  with  a  capitalization  of  $5,000,000.  It 
acquired  a  tract  of 
oil  land  in  Sespe 
Canon  where  were 
bored  a  number  of 
wells.  A  large 
number  of  men 
were  employed  in 
the  local  fields, 
and  the  company 
soon  became  one 
of  the  most  active 
shippers  from  the 
district,  the 
monthly  produc- 
tion approximating 
about  6000  barrels. 
The  condition  of 
tlie  oil  market,  at 
the  time  the  Unirn 
Consolidat  e  d  e  n- 
tered  the  field  as  a 
shipper,  was  such 
that  it  became  im- 
perative to  secure 
a  better  market 
than  was  then 'to  f>e  found,  and,  characteristic  of  the  Major 
in  all  his  operations,  he  did  not  wait  for  an  opportunity,  but 
made  one  in  forming  a  company  for  the  purpose  of  erecting 
a  refinery  that  would  handle  the  output  of  its  wells.  The 
work  carried  on  by  this  plant  has  attained  such  a  magni- 
tude and  is  so  far-reaching  in  its  effect  upon  the  market  of 
this  city,  and  Southern  California  as  well,  that  special  space 
will  be  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  Union  Consolidated 
Oil  and  Refining  Company  in  another  portion  of  this  maga- 
zine; the  accompanying  illustrations  will  show  better  than 
words  can  tell  the  extent  of  the  plant. 

One  of  the  most  recent  flotations  made  by  Maj.  Russell 
through  Douglas,  Lacey  &  Co.  is  that  of  the  Haslemere 
Mining  and  Milling  Company.  The  possibilities  of  this 
property,  which  is  located  in  the  Keys  Mining  District,  in 
Kern  county,  are  so  stupendous  as  to  excite  the  interest  of 
mining  men  all  over  the  country.  The  property  consists  of 
sixteen  full  claims  extending  over  two  miles  along  the  course 
of  the  vein,  and  two  groups  of  mill  sites  on  the  river,  one 


RESIDENCE  OP   MAJ.   H.    M.   RUSSELL. 


of  four  and  the  other  of  five  claims.  Work  is  being  prose- 
cuted with  characteristic  vigor,  and  a  mill  of  150  tons  capacity 
is  now  in  course  of  erection  upon  the  property.  An  aerial 
tramway  one  and  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  length  will 
convey  the  ore  to  the  mill,  which  is  located  but  a  short 
distance  below  the  dam  and  power  house  of  the  Huntington 
electric  company.  Power  for  the  operation  of  the  tram,  drills, 
lights  and  mine  will  be  furnished  directly  from  this  plant, 
and  it  is  proposed  to  equip  the  mine  in  the  most  modern 
manner  to  the  end  that  it  will  be  the  most  complete  electrically 
equipped  mine  in  the  United  States.  With  such  unlimited 
power  to  be  obtained,  the  owners  are  in  a  position  to  gratify 
their  desires  in  this  direction  at  a  minimum  cost.  A  feature 
that  will  prove  entirely  new  in  the  stamp  mill  is  special 
machinery  now  being  prepared  by  the  Llewellyn  Iron  Works 
Company  of  this  city.  The  company  is  incorporated  for 
$5,000,000.  Its  location  is  excellent.  There  are  immense 
quantities  of  low  grade  ore  in  the  mine,  the  transportation 
is  solved,  the  milling  facilities  are  unexcelled,  and  all  condi- 
tions seem  to  be  favorable  f~r  the  development  here  of  one 
of  the  greatest  low  grade  mines  h  the  Southwest. 

The  territory  in   which  the   firm   cprr-tes  is  by  no  means 

limited  to  this  sec- 
ticn  of  the  coun- 
ty. It  maintains 
branch  offices  in 
twenty-eight  dif- 
f  rent  cities,  and 
represents  a  large 
clientage  abroad. 
T'.ie  testimony  of 
tl-e  ablest  engi- 
rt crs  and  mining 

ej J  J      e   perts     is     taken 

i J  ^          ]y      1-  fore    a    property 

is  purchased,  and 
the  success  of  the 
cperations  in  the 
G  r  e  a  t  Southwest 
i  ider  the  manage- 
i-  crt  of  Maj.  Rus- 
:  11  has  given  the 
t.rm  a  reputation 
;.i  one  of  the 
i:ir::t  energetic  and 
successful  com- 
paries  in  the  coun- 
try. The  latest  prcmoticn  from  its  <  0^".  and  one 
in  which  Maj.  Russell  t  fficiates  as  manager,  is  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Alaskan  Oil  and  Mines  !v--loration 
Company,  with  a  capital  of  $10,000,000.  The  company  pro- 
poses to  develop  oil,  coal  and  other  minerals  in  Alaska,  and 
for  the  past  year  has  had  an  engineer  on  the  ground  locating 
desirable  lands.  It  has  acquired  over  20,000  acres  of  oil 
land,  and  has  already  shipped  an  oil  rig  to  the  property 
from  a  local  seaport  town.  If  one  may  judge  by  the  measure 
of  success  which  has  attended  its  previous  operations  in  this 
section,  much  may  be  expected  from  this,  its  latest  incorpora- 
tion. 

The  success  achieved  by  Maj.  H.  M.  Russell  has  been 
the  result  of  his  ability  to  recognize  and  grasp  opportunities, 
and.  we  might  have  added,  his  effective  use  of  them.  He 
has  established  a  reputation  for  management  which  insures 
his  promotions  immediate  recognition,  and  this  explains  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  in  every  instance  where  he  has 
placed  a  property  on  the  market. 


112 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


CHARLES  AUSTIN   BURCHAM. 


CHARLES  AUSTIN  BURCHAM  is  a  native  son  of  the 
Golden  West,  having  been  born  November  6,  1859,  in 
Vallejo,  within  a  few  miles  of  San  Francisco,  then,  as 
now,  the  metropolis  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  His  boyhood  days 
were  passed  as  were  those  of  most  of  the  lads  of  his  day;  he 
pursued  his  studies  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  city, 
later  supplementing  them  with  a  course  at  the  Pacific  Business 
College,  San  Francisco.  He  was  reared  in  the  adventurous 
atmosphere  of  San  Francisco  in  the  '70*5,  and  upon  the  com- 
pletion of  his  education  his  attention  was  directed  to  the  for- 
tunes being  made  and  lost  in  speculating  in  Nevada  mining 
stocks — this  was  in 
the  palmy  days  of  the 
Comstock  lode,  when 
millionaires  were 
quickly  made.  Young 
Burcham  displayed 
remarkable  business 
ability  and  a  rare 
conservatism  even  at 
that  age,  and  after 
having  operated  on 
'Change  for  a  short 
time,  found  himself 
with  his  first  "  stake." 
But  what  was  more 
to  the  point,  the  ex- 
periences of  the  sea- 
son taught  him  the 
wonderful  possibilities 
of  mining  as  an  in- 
vestment and  a  con- 
servative business 
proposition. 

In  1880,  at  that 
time  but  21  years  of 
age,  young  Burcham, 
in  company  with  his 
father  and  an  older 
brother,  visited  South- 
ern California  and 
purchased  a  5cco- 
acre  stock  ranch  in 
San  Bernardino 
county,  and  located 
some  twenty-five 
miles  from  the  town 
of  that  name.  For 
six  years  the  father 
and  two  sons  conduct- 
ed the  ranch,  in  that 
time  having  made 
many  improvements 

in    the     property,    and    having    established  it    upon 
ing     basis.       In     1887     Mr.     Burcham     made     his 


a     pay- 
second 

"  raise  "  by  disposing  of  extensive  water  interests  which  he 
had  developed  on  his  property  to  Maj.  Bonebrake,  who 
purchased  the  water  for  the  infant  town  of  Hesperia.  For 
the  ensuing  four  years  Mr.  Burcham's  time  was  devoted 
entirely  to  improving  his  ranch  and  creating  a  market  for 
its  products  in  San  Bernardino  and  other  Southern  California 
towns.  But  in  the  year  1900  he  became  impressed  with  the 


opportunities  for  practical  miners  in  the  vast  mineral  district 
embraced  in  San  Bernardino  county,  and  known  simply  as 
"  the  desert."  From  spending  his  entire  time  in  the  raising 
and  selling  of  live  stock,  Mr.  Burcham  soon  became  inter- 
ested in  that  inanimate  stock  that  was  to  carry  his  success 
beyond  the  possibilities  of  his  former  calling.  Accordingly 
in  the  spring  of  '93  he  commenced  making  regular  and  syste- 
matic prospecting  trips  to  "  the  desert."  Devoid  of  experi- 
ence and  knowledge  touching  geology  and  mineralogy,  his 
early  tours  were  necessarily  hopeless ;  but  observation  soon 
acquainted  him  with  the  formation  and  physical  condition  of 

the  country,  which 
knowledge  was  sup- 
plemented from  time 
to  time,  as  opportu- 
nity afforded,  by  sci- 
entific research.  Right 
here  was  the  differ- 
ence between  Mr. 
Burchaoi  and  the 
average  prospe  c  t  o  r. 
He  read  and  studied, 
and  so  equipped  him- 
self to  recognize  in- 
dications that  would 
pass  unnoticed  by  the 
superficial  and  igno- 
rant genius,  among 
whom  he  was  so 
marked  an  exception. 
April  21,  1895, 
found  Mr.  Burcham 
at  Summit,  a  little 
town  on  the  edge  of 
the  desert.  He  had 
prospected  all  the 
spring  without  meet- 
ing with  the  success 
his  labors  had  mer- 
ited, and  as  his  stock 
of  provisions  had 
been  exhausted  he 
was  about  to  return 
to  San  Bernardino. 
He  had  an  excellent 
outfit  and  team,  how- 
ever, and  that  night 
met  two  prospectors, 
John  Singleton  and  F. 
M.  Mooers,  who  had 
an  ample  grubstake, 
but  no  means  of  mov- 
ing it.  The  three 

thereupon  entered  into  a  partnership,  and  the  following 
morning  struck  out  for  the  Randsburg  district.  The  success 
that  attended  their  efforts  is  found  in  Southern  California  ". 
greatest  bonanza,  the  famous  Yellow  Aster  property.  It  is 
not  the  province  of  this  sketch  to  review  the  development  of 
the  Yellow  Aster  mine.  Its  history  is  fully  related  elsewhere. 
Suffice  to  say  that  under  the  direction  of  the  owners,  devel- 
opment work  was  prosecuted  intelligently,  and  the  mine 
placed  upon  the  list  of  California  dividend  payers  within  a 


CHARLES    AUSTIN    BURCHAM. 


MEN 


ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


113 


comparatively  short  space  of  time  following  its  opening  up. 
Charles  A.  Burcham  is  a  typical  California!!.  He  possesses 
the  generosity  and  warm-hearted  hospitality  of  the  West, 
and  the  traits  of  character  which  won  him  friends  before 
Fortune  smiled  so  graciously  upon  him,  bind  them  to  him 
today.  He  is  one  who  has  accepted  fortune  graciously,  nor 


has  permitted  it  to  estrange  the  friendships  of  former  days. 
To  his  intimates  of  old  he  is  the  same  "  Charlie  "  as  before 
his  days  of  opulence,  and  so  he  will  remain.  Mr.  Burcham 
has  a  charming  and  estimable  wife,  who  has  been  a  helpmeet 
in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word. 


HOME    OK   CHARLES    AUSTIN    BURCHAM. 


114 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


DR.  ROSE  L.  BURCHAM. 


IN  REVIEWING  the  individual  successes  that  have  been 
made  in  the  mining  districts  of  the  Great  Southwest, 
one  is  impressed  by  the  fact  that  the  little  colony  has 
been  to  so  great  an  extent  recruited  from  the  successful 
element  in  other  professional  and  business  callings.  The 
import  of  this  circumstance  would  seem  to  indicate  that  in 
mining,  as  in  other  vocations,  sound  judgment  and  correct 
business  principles  are  more  than  a  match  for  luck.  While 
Fortune  has  chosen  her  sponsors  from  all  ranks  of  society, 
as  established  by  difference  of  means  and  education,  it  is  a 
conspicuous  fact 
that  the  favored 
ones  represent,  as 
a  rule,  the  conserv- 
ative, persevering 
and  deserving  ele- 
ment. The  subject 
of  this  biography 
enjoys  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  the 
only  sue  c  e  s  s  f  u  1 
woman  mining 
operator  in  the  en- 
tire Southwest,  and 
as  such  has  dem- 
onstrated that  she 
was  endowed  with 
executive  ability  of 
a  high  order. 

Born  in  the  cra- 
dle of  fame,  the 
great  common- 
wealth of  New 
York,  Dr.  Bur- 
cham's  debut  upon 
the  stage  of  life 
was  most  auspi- 
cious. Her  father 
was  a  practicing 
physician  of  Roch- 
ester, an  English- 
man by  birth,  a 
great  student  and 
traveler.  At  the 
tender  age  of  ten 
years  his  little 
daughter  evidenced 
a  keen  delight  in 
having  free  access 
to  his  extensive  li- 
brary, and  after 
completing  her  ele- 
mentary education,  she  determined  upon  securing  a  scientific 
education.  In  order  to  assist  herself  in  defraying  the  expenses 
of  a  course  in  the  Rochester  Free  Academy,  she  taught  school 
from  time  to  time,  and  finally,  in  1882,  was  rewarded  with  her 
long-sought-for  diploma.  Success  spurred  her  on  to  greater 
efforts,  and  the  successful  graduate  of  the  Rochester 
Academy  set  her  aim  for  a  medical  education  and  left 
home  to  enter  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  of  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  She  graduated  with  highest  honors  from  this  cele- 
brated institution  of  medicine  in  the  class  of  '84,  and  for 
the  following  year  wa.s  upon  the  interne  staff  of  a  Cincinnati 


DR.    ROSE    L.    BURCHAM 


hospital.  Dr.  Burcham  afterwards  built  iip  a  lucrative 
practice,  which  she  was  obliged  to  relinquish  in  1885  owing 
to  failing  health. 

What  proved  a  loss  for  the  medical  profession  of  Cin- 
cinnati proved  an  advantage  to  California,  for,  attracted  by 
the  reputation  of  the  State  as  a  Mecca  for  the  health  seeker, 
Dr.  Burcham  decided  upon  locating  in  San  Bernardino,  this 
State.  There  is  now  scarcely  a  city  of  any  importance  in 
the  country  that  has  not  its  able  woman  physician  and  sur- 
geon, but  when  Dr.  Burcham  first  located  in  San  Bernardino 

she  was  the  pio- 
neer of  women 
physicians.  The 
successful  and  lu- 
crative practice  es- 
tablished by  Dr. 
Burcham  was  the 
most  genuine  oom- 
plimcnt  the  com- 
munity could  pay 
her  talent  and  skill 
as  a  physician.  In 
December,  1887, 
she  was  wedded  to 
Charles  Austin 
Burcham,  owner  of 
an  extensive  cattle 
ranch  located 
within  the  limits 
of  San  Bernardino 
county,  but  her 
wedding  to  Mr. 
Burcham  did  not 
divorce  her  from 
her  chosen  profes- 
sion and  she  con- 
tinued to  practice 
rntil  she  moved  to 
Randsburg  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1896,  to  as- 
sist in  the  man- 
agement of  South- 
ern California's 
bonanza,  the  cele- 
brated Yellow  As- 
ter mine.  While 
the  Yellow  Aster 
was  located  and 
opened  up  by  the 
three  founders  of 
Randsburg,  C.  A. 
Burcham,  John 
Singleton  and  F.  M.  Mooers,  the  success  of  their  un- 
dertaking was  largely  dependent  upon  their  "  grub- 
stake." Like  an  army  in  the  field  deprived  of  their  base  of 
supplies,  so  helpless  would  the  founders  of  Randsburg  have 
been  without  their  commissary  department,  and  Dr.  Burcham 
was  appointed  a  committee  of  one  to  act  as  commissary  agent. 
How  well  she  performed  the  duties  imposed  upon  her  can 
best  be  told  in  the  success  of  the  Yellow  Aster  mine.  Dr. 
Burcham  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  been  the  first 
woman  to  enter  Randsburg.  She  made  the  trip  in  July, 
1895,  shortly  after  the  mine  fad.  been  located,  and  remained 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


115 


there  until  the  following  month.  Returning  to  San  Ber- 
nardino she  resumed  the  practice  of  her  profession  until 
the  following  spring,  when  she  returned  to  Randsburg  to 
make  her  home  at  the  mine,  and  actively  engage  in  the 
duties  of  secretary  of  the  Yellow  Aster  Mining  and  Milling 
Company,  a  position  which  was  tendered  her  upon  the  incor- 
poration of  the  company,  November  16,  1897.  Since  that 
date  Mrs.  Burcham  has  been  one  of  the  most  energetic  and 
progressive  members  of  the  board  of  directors.  Net  the 
wealth  of  the  Yellow  Aster  alone,  but  its  location  in  the  midst 


erous  degree.  Not  an  innate  attribute  is  the  ken  which 
measure  men.  Observation  may  be  in  a  degree  a  heritage, 
but  an  insight  into  human  nature  must  combine  observation, 
experience  and  judgment.  Dr.  Burcham  has  traveled  exten- 
sively in  Europe  and  on  this  continent.  Travel  is  a  great 
educator,  and  Dr.  Burcham  was  an  apt  pupil. 

Dr.  Rose  L.  Burcham  has  made  her  home  in  this  city  since 
the  spring  of  1902.  She  has  recently  purchased  a  beautiful 
home  at  the  corner  of  Burlington  avenue  and  Seventh  street, 
where  she  entertains  in  a  manner  befitting  her  station  in  life. 


DR.  RUSE  L.  DURCHAM'S  RESIDENCE. 


DRAWING    ROOM. 


RECEPTION     HALL. 


of  other  of  the  camp's  richest  mineral  zone,  made  surround- 
ing and  unexplored  claims  desirable  assets.  Dr.  Burcham 
was  not  slow  to  recognize  this  fact,  and  at  her  instance 
the  company  has  expended  vast  sums  in  acquiring  adjoining 
territory  in  the  past  seven  years,  representing  a  series  of 
investments  that  the  company  would  not  forfeit  today  for 
many  fold  their  cost.  Dr.  Burcham  has  manifested  no  less 
discrimination  and  judgment  in  the  selection  of  men  to 
prosecute  the  actual  development  of  the  mine.  Her 
knowledge  of  human  nature  has  conduced  to  this  in  a  gen- 


The  house  is  built  upon  the  Italian  style  of  architecture, 
and  possesses  many  unique  and  artistic  architectural  effects, 
one  of  the  most  distinguishing  features  of  which  is  the  com- 
modious reception  hall  and  drawing  rooms,  which  are  admi- 
rably adapted  for  the  receptions  which  Dr.  Burcham  frequently 
gives,  when  in  town.  Dr.  Burcham  has  led  an  active  life, 
and  association  with  professional  and  business  interests  has 
left  her  little  time  for  social  pleasures.  She  is  a  woman  of 
energy,  but  is  as  unassuming  i^  manner  as  she  is  forceful 
in  character. 


116 


MJSA'  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


CARL  F.  SCHADER. 


IF  THERE  is  one  thing  more  than  another  that  impresses 
the  eastern  visitor  to  California,  it  is  the  prominence  of 
our  young  men.     Yet,  if  a  moment's  thought  is  given  the 
subject,   it   does   not   appear   so   remarkable.     California    is    a 
comparatively  young  State,  and  the  commonwealth  has  been 
peopled  by    emigrants    from    the    East.       These     have     been 
obviously  young  men,  for  it  is  a  comparatively  small  propor- 
tion of  older  men  who  are  footloose. 

While  the  young  man  has  made  his  successes  in  every 
branch  of  industry  and  enterprise  in  California,  it  is  in  mining 
that  he  is  most  conspicuous,  and  it  is  this  field  of  operation 
that  holds  the  greatest  opportunities  for  the  future.  This 
magazine  recounts  the  ca- 
reers of  many  successful 
mining  men ;  but  few  indi- 
vidual careers  more  aptly 
reflect  the  possibilities  of- 
fered to  men  of  conserva- 
tive ideas  and  business  in- 
sight than  that  of  Carl  F. 
Schader.  He  is  not  one  of 
those  whose  success  has 
been  meteoric  and  dramatic, 
as  is  the  case  of  the  poor 
prospector  dieting  his  mil- 
lions from  the  grass  roots. 
His  success  has  been  that  of 
a  young  man  who  has  risen 
through  his  ability  to  recog- 
nize and  grasp  opportuni- 
ties— a  subtle  faculty,  prece- 
dent to  the  executive  ca- 
pacity, use  of  opportunity 
develops. 

Carl  F.  Schader's  parents 
were  among  the  pioneers  of 
Arkansas,  his  father,  a 
German  by  birth,  liavrnr  nr- 
rived  there  in  the  yar  i8'O 
at  a  time  when  the  St;'t~ 
was  little  more  than  a  wil- 
derness. Later  in  life  he 
removed  to  Little  Rock, 
where  his  son  Carl  wa^ 
born,  on  March  23,  1870. 
Raised  in  the  home  atmos- 
phere of  his  native  place, 
the  lad  had  instilled  into 
his  every  fibre  those  ele- 
ments of  honesty,  thrift  and 
industry  which  were  to  count  so  much  for  him  in  his  future 
career.  His  early  education  was  received  in  the  excellent 
public  schools  of  his  native  city,  and  was  later  supplemented 
by  a  course  in  the  Little  Rock  Commercial  College,  from 
which  institution  he  graduated  at  an  early  age.  Almost  im- 
mediately after  completing  his  course  of  study  at  the  busi- 
ness college,  Mr.  Schader,  then  a  youth  of  17  years,  but 
imbued  with  an  ambition  to  win  laurels  in  broader  fields  than 
afforded  by  his  native  State,  came  to  California  in  1887, 
where  he  was  connected  with  the  engineering  department 
of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  for  some  time,  serving  under 
Engineers  W.  C.  Trumbull  and  M.  B.  Terras.  Mr.  Schader 


CARI,    F.    SCHADKR. 


was  a  member  of  the  engineering  corps  that  made  the  surveys 
of  the  railroad  from  Los  Angeles  to  Anaheim,  Los  Angeles 
to  Ballona,  Ferris  to  San  Jacinto  and  Elsinore.  Pacific  Beach 
to  Moreno,  and  other  work  along  the  lines  of  the  great  Santa 
Fe  system.  During  all  this  time  he  was  studying  and  com- 
bining his  study  with  practical  field  experience,  so  that,  when 
in  1888  he  was  offered  a  position  as  assistant  engineer  to  P.  J. 
Flynn  in  United  States  government  surveys  at  Santa  Monica 
and  vicinity,  he  was  well  qualified  to  undertake  the  responsi- 
bilities of  the  position.  For  a  long  time  he  was  engaged  in 
government  work  in  the  vicinity  of  Santa  Monica  and  the 
Soldiers'  Home,  becoming  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 

country   in   that   section. 

After  the  boom  in  South- 
ern California1  ended,  there 
being  very  little  work  in  tin- 
engineering  field  in  this 
vicinity,  and  being  desirous 
of  remaining  in  Southern 
California,  Mr.  Schader 
entered  the  mercantile  bus- 
iness in  Santa  Monica,  an;l 
was  one  of  the  leading  and 
most  successful  business 
men  c;f  that  place  for  a 
number  of  years.  During 
this  time  Mr.  Schad'.r  mar- 
ried Miss  Nellie  Elliott  of 
Santa  Monica,  and  now  has 
two  sons,  Carl  J.  and 
Fred  P. 

In  1895,  becoming  im- 
pressed with  the  greater 
possibilities  afforded  in  the 
mining  circles  of  the  South- 
west, Mr.  Schader  took  up 
the  mining  branch  of  en- 
gineering, and  since  that 
time  has  been  a  most  active 
worker  along  those  lines, 
and  is  now  a  member  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Min- 
ing Engineers.  With  a  de- 
sire to  have  a  thorough  and 
practical  knowledge  of  the 
subject,  Mr.  Schader  took 
courses  in  assaying  and 
metallurgy,  etc.,  so  that  he 
might  be  competent  to  pass 
upon  indications  that  the 
uninitiated  would  not  notice.  A  feature  of  his  work  at  this 
time,  and  one  in  which  he  takes  pardonable  pride  and  counts 
of  no  little  value  to  him,  is  the  practical  experience  he  ob- 
tained by  going  to  work  with  pick  and  drill  as  a  common 
miner  and  working  his  way  up  to  superintendent,  thereby 
acquiring  an  invaluable  practical  knowledge  of  mining. 
With  the  object  of  further  acquainting  himself  with  the 
treatment  of  ores  he  secured  employment  in  smelting, 
mining  and  concentrating  plants,  where  he  familiarized  him- 
self with  the  different  processes  employed  in  the  treatment 
and  reduction  of  ores. 

After  a  number  of  years  of    study    and    work    he   became 


MEN  Of'  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


117 


recognized  as  one  of  the  most  competent  authorities  on  desert 
properties  in  this  section,  and  in  1901  was  made  general  man- 
ager of  the  German-American  Mining  Company's  property 
in  Mohave  county,  Ariz.  He  opened  the  property  up  to  its 
present  successful  condition  and  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being 
the  first  large  operator  in  the  now  famous  San  Francisco  Min- 
ing district  of  Mohave  county,  Ariz.,  in  which  are  located 
the  Gold  Roads  and  Leland  mines. 

In  1902,  Mr.  Schader,  in  association  with  Mr.  T.  A.  John- 
son, formerly  of  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  identified  with 
large  smelting  and  lead  mining  interests  now  owned  and 
operated  by  the  Guggenheims  of  New  York,  formed  the  firm 
of  Schader- Johnson  Co.,  and  organized  the  well-known 
Nevada-Keystone  Mining  Company.  Mr.  Schader  being 
elected  general  manager  and  Mr.  Johnson  secretary.  The 
story  of  the  development  of  the  Nevada-Keystone  is  one  of 
continued  success  from  the  incorporation  of  the  company  in 
May  of  1902.  Despite  the  fact  that  the  mine  had  formerly 
been  a  producer  and  had  $380,000  to  its  credit,  predictions 
were  freely  made  that  it  was  "worked  out."  Mr.  Schader, 


site  will  be  done  away  with.  Everything  will  be  operated  by 
electricity,  including  the  underground  hoists,  and  the  mine 
will  also  be  lighted  by  electricity.  Owing  to  the  expense  of 
hauling  to  the  old  mill,  over  50,000  tons  of  low-grade  ore 
and  porphyry,  averaging  $3  per  ton,  have  accumulated  upon 
the  dump  and  are  now  waiting  cyanide  treatment.  It  is 
expected  that  the  new  cyanide  plant  will  be  able  to  treat 
the  ore  for  about  $1  per  ton. 

The  Nevada-Keystone  is  making  history  every  day,  and 
there  will  not  likely  be  a  time  for  many  years  to  come  when 
there  will  not  be  something  new  in  connection  with  it.  As 
its  development  progresses,  its  possibilities  expand,  and  no 
man  today  can  prophesy  a  limit  for  it  as  a  producer.  During 
the  past  year  the  Schader- Johnson  Company  has  been  pros- 
pecting and  developing  another  gold-mining  property  in  Nye 
county,  Nevada.  A  feature  of  the  company's  method  of  oper- 
ating that  has  been  the  cause  for  much  favorable  comment 
throughout  mining  and  financial  circles  is  its  expenditure  of 
large  sums  in  the  development  and  opening  up  of  properties 
before  offering  them  to  the  public,  and  has  thus  established  a 


RESIDENCE   OF    CARL    F.    SCHADER. 


after  a  careful  examination,  became  convinced  of  the  possi- 
bilities of  great  production  under  modern  methods  of  mining 
and  milling,  and  the  record  of  gold-bullion  shipments  of  over 
$100,000  under  his  management  has  effectually  silenced  any 
further  predictions  from  those  who  criticised  the  judgment 
of  the  expenditures  made.  A  conservative  estimate  of  the 
amount  of  ore  in  sight  today  figures  up  well  toward  a  halt 
million. 

At  the  time  the  present  management  came  into  possession  of 
the  property  it  was  equipped  with  an  old  mill,  which 
was  remodeled,  by  adding  two  Huntington  mills  and 
a  small  cyanide  plant,  with  the  idea  of  making  it  a 
test  mill  before  going  to  the  expense  of  building  more 
extensively.  With  this  all-too-limited  facility,  it  has 
produced  an  even  $100,000  since  operating,  the  greater  part 
of  which  came  from  development  work  and  above  the  300- 
foot  level.  Having  demonstrated  the  success  of  the  under- 
taking, Mr.  Schader  is  now  preparing  to  have  a  complete  and 
modern  plant  erected  at  the  mine.  Water  will  be  pumped 
to  it,  and  the  great  expense  of  hauling  the  ore  to  the  old  mill 


reputation  that  assures  them  immediate  success  in  any 
undertaking  that  meets  with  their  serious  consideration. 

Among  mining  men  generally,  Mr.  Schader  is  credited  with 
being  one  of  the  best-informed  men  on  what  is  known  as  the 
desert  mining  region.  He  has  devoted  the  past  eight  years 
entirely  to  study  in  that  field,  with  the  result  that  there  is 
hardly  a  mine  or  prospect  in  San  Bernardino  county,  Cal. ; 
Mojave  county,  Ariz.,  or  Lincoln  and  Nye  counties,  Nev.,  that 
he  is  not  personally  acquainted  with,  having  made  examina- 
tions of  most  of  them. 

Besides  being  the  largest  stockholder  in  the  German-Amer- 
ican Mining  Company,  Mr.  Schader  is  one  of  the  heaviest 
individual  owners  of  Nevada-Keystone  stock,  and  is  at  present 
general  manager  of  both  companies.  Besides  his  mining 
interests,  he  is  well  known  in  banking  and  financial  circles  in 
Southern  California,  being  vice-president  of  the  Ocean  Park 
Bank,  a  director  of  the  Merchants  National  Bank  of  Santa 
Monica,  and  is  interested  in  the  Merchants  National  Bank  of 
Los  Angeles.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow, 
being  a  Thirty-second  degree  Scottish  Rite  Mason. 


118 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


T.  A.  JOHNSON. 


THE  career  of  T.  A.  Johnson  is  one  of  scores  afforded  by 
the  West,  demonstrating  that  mining  experience  is 
not  necessary  to  mining  success,  and  yet  who  will 
gainsay  its  value  in  certain  channels  of  mining,  where  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  mineralogy  and  geology  must  necessarily 
be  of  service?  But  to  successful  mining  operations  mining 
experience  is  not  always  essential.  The  requisite  is  neither 
practical  knowledge  nor  luck ;  it  is  business  ability,  and  the 
mining  men  who  have  made  the  greatest  successes  in  the 
Southwest  are  men  who  have  utilized  the  '  acumen  which 
reaps  reward  wherever  exercised.  Almost  without  exception 
men  who  have  applied  sound  business  principles  to  mining 
in  the  Southwest  have  been  rewarded  far  beyond  the  possi- 
bilities offered  in  any  other 
field  of  investment.  Such 
an  instance  is  found  in  the 
career  of  the  above-named 
member  of  the  little  col- 
ony of  successful  mining 
men  operating  in  the 
Southwest. 

It  was  in  the  latter  '.jo's 
that  Louis  M.  Johnson  set- 
tled in  Henry  county,  111., 
a  pioneer  in  the  develop- 
ment of  that  great  State 
which  has  given  to  our 
country  so  many  able  men 
in  all  walks  of  life.  Here 
on  the  old  homestead,  in 
[864,  his  son  Theodore 
was  born.  The  lad  received 
instruction  in  the  public 
schools  of  Qeneseo,  111., 
until  he  had  attained  four- 
teen years  of  age.  Ambi- 
tious to  be  self-sustaining. 
and  his  tendencies  being 
toward  commercial  life,  he 
entered  the  employ,  in 
1879,  of  one  of  the  largest 
mercantile  establishments 
in  that  portion  of  the 
State,  operated  in  connec- 
tion with  the  coal  mines 
that  were  then  being 
worked  in  Central  Illi- 
nois. Fortunately  for  him- 
self, the  youth  possessed 
to  a  remarkable  degree  those  powers  of  adaptability  which, 
in  a  country  such  as  Illinois  was  in  the  early  '8o's,  consti- 


T.  A.  JOHNSON. 


he  started  for  the  frontier  in  Western  Kansas,  which  at  that 
time  had  just  been  thrown  open  to  settlement,  and  the 
southern  tier  of  counties  was  being  organized.  Many  are 
the  amusing  and  thrilling  experiences  he  relates  pertaining  to 
the  county-seat  warfare  of  that  portion  of  the  country  during 
the  disturbed  days  of  early  settlement,  when  county  seats  and 
courthouses  were  moved  in  a  night.  Nothing  daunted  by  the 
crudeness  of  the  conditions,  Mr.  Johnson  remained  in  the 
banking  business  at  that  point  for  some  time,  being  advanced 
successively  from  book-keeper  to  assistant  cashier  and  cashier, 
and  later  established  a  branch  bank  in  Stanton  county.  In 
1887,  following  the  long,  dry  period  of  1886-87  he  disposed 
of  his  interests  and  together  with  associates  removed  to  Kan- 
sas City,  where  he  assisted 
in  organizing  the  United 
States  Bank  of  that  place, 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  was  assistant  cashier. 
The  bank  was  subse- 
quently reorganized  under 
the  national  banking  laws 
and  was  known  as  the 
Aetna  National  Bank. 

For  the  ensuing  three 
years  Mr.  Johnson  devoted 
his  entire  time  and  atten- 
tion to  the  duties  imposed 
upon  him  in  his  capacity 
as  assistant  cashier,  finally 
disposing  of  his  interests 
in  the  bank  and  removing 
to  St.  Louis,  in  1890, 
where  he  was  again  iden- 
tified with  financial  insti- 
tutions in  various  capaci- 
ties, until  1896,  when  he 
first  became  directly  inter- 
ested in  mining  to  any  ex- 
tent. In  that  year  he  be- 
came secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Missouri 
Smelting  Company,  and 
later  assisted  in  organiz- 
ing and  acted  as  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Fed- 
eral Lead  Company,  whose 
property  was  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  disseminated 
lead  district  of  St.  Francois 
county,  Missouri.  The  properties  were  disposed  of  to  the 
Guggenheim  interests  of  New  York,  who  have  since  been  con- 


tuted  one  of  the  surest  passports  to  success,  and,  indeed,  has       ducting  operations  on  the  property  on  a  most  extensive  scale. 


ever  been  a  prominent  factor  in  the  expansion  and  develop- 
ment of  the  great  western  country.  Added  to  this  quality 
was  a  natural  inclination  to  industry,  combined  with  business 
tact  and  strong  tenacity  of  purpose.  After  six  years  of  loyal 
service,  during  which  time  Mr.  Johnson  had  advanced  from 
an  humble  clerk  to  the  position  of  buyer  and  general  manager 
of  the  extensive  business,  he  resigned  his  position  to  seek  new 
business  associations  in  the  banking  line.  Imbued  with  the 
good  advice  of  Horace  Greely  — "  young  man,  go  West " — 


To  Mr.  Johnson  belongs  the  distinction  of  having  assisted 
in  organizing  and  operating  the  Missouri  Copper  Company,  a 
company  which  owned  and  operated  the  only  successful  cop- 
per mines  in  the  State,  that  is  famous  for  her  lead  and  zinc. 

In  1900,  still  a  young  man  in  years,  but  ripe  in  experience 
Mr.  Johnson  having  disposed  of  his  banking  and  mining  inter- 
ests, determined  upon  an  extended  trip  through  the  West. 
During  the  year  or  so  occupied  in  completing  the  trip  he  vis- 
ited the  principal  mining  camps  and  mines  of  the  West,  in- 


MEN  or  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


119 


eluding  the  famous  copper  mines  of  Montana's  capital,  the 
gold  and  silver  mines  of  Idaho,  Washington  and  Oregon,  and 
spent  some  time  in  the  mining  regions  of  Northern  California, 
hefore  visiting  this  section  of  the  State.  After  a  trip  through 
Lower  California,  he  returned  to  Los  Angeles,  and,  in  com- 
pany with  Carl  F.  Schader,  made  an  examination  of  the 
Nevada-Keystone  properties  in  Southeastern  Nevada.  So 
impressed  was  he  with  the  opportunities  for  the  investment 
of  capital  in  the  Southwest  that  he  formed  a  co-partnership 
with  Mr.  Schader,  under  the  firm  name  of  the  Schader-John- 
son  Company,  and  proceeded  to  develop  the  mine.  Mr. 
Schader  had  had  a  complete  technical  and  practical  mining 
education,  and  was  an  acknowledged  authority  on  desert  min- 
ing, and  the  combination  of  talent  has  proven  most  auspicious 
for  the  development  of  one  of  the  most  promising  properties 
in  this  section  of  the  Southwest.  Shortly  after  forming  their 
business  alliance  and  having  expended  sufficient  in  develop- 
ment work  on  the  Nevada-Keystone  to  demonstrate  that  they 
had  a  mine,  they  formed  the  present  company,  of  which  Mr. 
Johnson  is  secretary,  a  position  he  is  eminently  qualified  to 
fill  after  an  experience  covering  nearly  twenty  years  among 


various  banking  and  financial  institutions  of  the  Middle  West. 

The  success  of  the  Nevada-Keystone  under  the  active  policy 
of  development  inaugurated  by  the  management  has  been  the 
subject  of  favorable  comment  in  mining  circles  throughout 
the  State.  With  only  a  test  mill  to  operate  and  the  disad- 
vantage of  a  seven-mile  haul,  the  company  has  produced  since 
its  incorporation,  in  July  of  1902,  over  $100,000.  -Arrange- 
ments are  now  about  completed  for  the  erection  of  a  fine  mod- 
ern plant  and  mill  which  will  be  completely  equipped  with 
electricity  and  provided  with  every  facility  for  the  rapid  de- 
velopment of  the  mine,  which  is  the  bonanza  of  Lincoln 
county,  Nevada. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  natural  financier,  instinctively  a  business 
man,  of  quick  and  far-reaching  calculation.  As  a  result,  he 
is  well-to-do.  He  is  a  good  judge  of  character;  his  system 
and  discipline  are  thorough,  and  his  industry  proverbial.  He 
will  work  night  and  day  when  necessary  to  promote  the  cause 
of  any  interest  with  which  he  may  be  identified.  In  spite  of 
his  great  activity,  Mr.  Johnson  is  of  a  modest,  retiring  nature, 
and  is  an  amiable,  affable  gentleman,  much  esteemed  through- 
out the  community  in  both  business  and  social  circles. 


KKSIDKNCE    OF    OLIVER    P.    POSEY.     A     TYPICAL    CALIFORNIA     HOME. 


RESIDENCE  OF  W.   P.   DUNHAM,    A    LOS    ANGELES     MINING    MAN. 


120 


MSN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


C.  HENRY  THOMPSON. 


IN  THE  distribution  of  its  aureate  bounties,  the  West  has 
been   impartial   to   a.   remarkable     degree.       Those     who 
have  won  wealth  in  mining  represented,  before    entering 
this  field  of  enterprise,  the  entire  gamut  of  condition,  and  for- 
iune    has   recognized  alike  the  poor  prospector  and  the  man 
of  affairs.     Among  their   number  the  above   name   is   promi- 
nent by  virtue  of  its  representing  one  of  the  little  colony  of 
successful  mining  men  whose  reward  has  been  the  result  of 
long  experience. 

C.  Henry  Thompson  is  an  Ohioan  by  birth.  He  received 
his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  town,  Milan, 
later  taking  a  course  in  the  High  School  in  Toledo,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  his  studies,  in  1861,  when 
the  war  broke  out.  He  enlisted  with  the  Fourteenth  Ohio 
Infantry,  under  command  of 
Col.  James  B.  Stedman,  after- 
ward Major-General.  Capt. 
Thompson's  active  service  in 
the  army  covered  a  period  of 
five  years  lacking  eleven  days, 
and  twice  he  received  promo- 
tion in  the  line  of  duty.  In 
the  spring  of  1863  he  was 
made  first-lieutenant  of  the 
First  United  States  Colored 
Artillery,  and  the  following 
year  was  promoted  to  a  cap- 
taincy in  the  same  regiment. 
After  serving  his  country  for 
this  period  of  time,  he  was 
mustered  out,  April  5,  1866, 
and  returned  to  his  parents' 
home  in  Cleveland 

Securing  an  appointment  as 
freight  aeent  for  the  old  Du- 
buque  and  Sioux  City  Rail- 
road, now  merged  into  the  Il- 
linois Central  system,  he  re- 
mained with  the  company  until 
it  had  extended  its  lines  to 
Fort  Dodge,  Iowa,  resigning  to 
make  a  trip  East  in  the  inter- 
est of  some  private  business 
matters.  His  first  introduc- 
tion to  the  West,  in  the  de- 
velopment of  which  he  was 
destined  to  take  so  active  a  part,  was  in  1870,  shortly  after 
the  completion  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  to  the  Coast. 

In  1877  he  came  to  this  State  to  assume  charge  of  the  old 
El  Capitan  mine,  in  Nevada  county.  He  remained  in  com- 
plete charge  of  the  property  for  the  ensuing  three  ye^rs, 
finally  resigning  to  become  identified  with  the  new  territory 
just  being  opened  in  Colorado,  near  the  vicinity  of  Lead- 
ville.  The  mine  which  he  accepted  the  management  of  was 
located  about  twenty  miles  north  of  Leadville,  in  the  Eagle 
River  country.  Under  the  system  of  active  development 
work  inaugurated  by  Capt.  Thompson,  it  was  soon  placed 
upon  the  list  of  shippers,  but  unfortunately  the  railroad  was 
not  accessible.  Nothing  daunted,  Capt.  Thompson  at  once 
opened  negotiations  for  the  extension  of  the  Denver  and  Rio 
Grande  system  from  its  Leadville  terminus  to  the  mining  dis- 
trict in  which  he  was  interested.  This  was  accomplished 


C.    HENRY    THOMPSON. 


by  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  railroad  engineering  ever  at- 
tempted, and  the  railroad  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  at  an 
altitude  of  10,670  feet,  over  the  famous  Tennessee  Pass,  to  the 
mines  of  the  Eagle  River  country. 

In  the  year  1881  the  captain  built  and  operated  a  smelter 
in  Summit  county,  Colorado.  While  the  plant  was  built 
primarily  for  the  ores  of  the  Belden  mine,  a  general  custom 
work  was  done.  After  getting  the  plant  upon  a  paying  basis, 
Capt.  Thompson  disposed  of  his  interest,  and  shortly  after 
became  owner  of  the  old  Elgin  smelter  in  Leadville.  While 
on  a  business  trip  to  New  York,  he  received  a  telegram  from 
Mr.  J.  B.  Grant,  the  millionaire  smelterman  of  Colorado,  to 
the  effect  that  a  smelter  he  had  been  operating  in  Leadville 
had  burned,  and  offering  the  captain  $1000  a  month  for  a 

lease  of  his  plant.  The  deal 
was  closed  by  wire,  and  for  the 
following  year  the  plant  was 
operated  by  Mr.  Grant. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  fol- 
low Capt.  Thompson  through 
the  dozens  of  camps  which 
claimed  his  attention  for  the 
ensuing  few  years.  Suffice 
to  say  his  experience  brought 
him  into  close  touch  and  per- 
sonal relations  with  the  most 
prominent  and  successful  min- 
ing operators  on  the  continent. 
During  this  time  he  visited  the 
principal  camps  of  Colorado, 
Utah,  Montana,  Idaho,  Ore- 
gon, Washington  and  British 
Columbia,  making  reports  on 
properties  for  eastern  capital- 
ists and  examinations  and  in- 
vestments on  his  own  account. 
Among  the  business  connec- 
tions he  had  formed  during 
this  period  were  Gen.  Russell 
A.  Alger,  former  Secretary  of 
War  in  President  McKinley's 
Cabinet,  and  other  Detroit  cap- 
italists. In  the  spring  of  '94 
he  made  a  trip  to  British  Co- 
lumbia to  examine  some  prop- 
erties in  which  they  were  in- 
terested, among  them  being  the  now  famous  Ironsides,  the 
Stemwinder,  the  Knob  Hill  and  the  Rawhide.  He  reported 
that  these  would  prove  among  the  greatest  producers  of  the 
country,  when  supplied  with  railroad  transportation  and 
(quipped  for  treating  the  immense  ore  bodies.  Owing  to  the 
total  absence  of  transportation  and  the  uncertainty  as  to 
when  it  could  be  had,  Gen.  Alger  finally  decided  not  to  pur- 
chase the  property.  It  was  purchased  and  is  now  managed 
by  the  Minor-Graves  syndicate. 

The  mines  lie  midway  between  Greenwood  and  Grand 
Forks,  and  the  properties  are  in  a  highly  developed  stage  of 
production.  The  Northwest,  at  that  time,  was  attracting  min- 
ing men  from  all  over  the  country,  and  Capt.  Thompson, 
becoming  interested  in  the  wonderfully-rich  Slocan  district, 
of  British  Columbia,  made  Spokane  his  headquarters  for  the 
ensuing  ten  years.  His  investments  in  that  district  he  still 


A/HAT  OP"  ACHIEVEMENT  /A'  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


121 


retains,  as  well  as  others  in  various  parts  of  the  mining  coun- 
try tributary  to  Spokane. 

The  famous  old  Virtue  mine  of  Baker  City,  Ore.,  which  in 
its  day  had  produced  millions  and  been  the  star  mine  of  the 
State,  had  been  given  up  by  the  owners  as  practically  worked 
out.  Capt.  Thompson  made  an  examination  of  the  property 
on  his  own  account  and  was  so  firm  in  his  belief  that  the  mine 
still  contained  hidden  treasures  that  he  purchased  the  prop- 
erty from  its  San  Francisco  owner,  George  W.  Grayson. 
After  making  a  series  of  changes  and  improvements  in  the 
mine,  he  disposed  of  it  to  a  Canadian  company,  composed 
largely  of  Toronto  men.  They  are  engaged  in  sinking  a  new 
shaft  to  a  depth  of  1000  feet,  after  which  a  large  amount  of 
work  is  contemplated  in  opening  up  the  different  levels.  There 
is  no  doubt  among  well-informed  mining  men  of  the  North- 
west that  the  Virtue  mine  can  again  be  placed  upon  the  list 
of  dividend-payers,  where  she  so  long  held  first  place. 

In  the  Sumpter  district,  the  captain  organized  the  Bunker 
Hill  Mining  Company,  disposing  of  a  large  share  of  his 
interest  in  the  property  to  a  Toronto  syndicate,  although  he 
still  retains  an  interest  in  the  company.  The  Bunker  Hill 
consists  of  the  old  Bunker  Hill,  the  Lilac  and  the  Myrtle,  and 
owns  valuable  claims  in  the  richest  mineralized  zone  of  the 
district.  Among  Spokane's  little  coterie  of  successful  min- 
ing men,  Capt.  Thompson  was  always  actively  energetic. 
His  properties  always  received  the  attention  they  merited,  and 
development  was  prosecuted  vigorously.  As  a  conservative 
expert  on  properties  his  services  were  in  frequent  demand, 
and  it  was  while  engaged  in  reporting  on  a  mine  in  Sonora, 
Mex.,  that  he  made  his  first  appearance  in  the  section  trib- 
utary to  Los  Angeles. 

Upon  making  his  home  in  this  city,  Capt.  Thompson  in- 
vested generously  in  both  Southern  California  and  Arizona, 


and  spent  his  money  freely  in  the  development  of  his  prop- 
erties. Among  the  most  recent  of  his  purchases  and  incor- 
porations may  be  mentioned  that  of  the  Cedar  Valley  Mining 
and  Smelting  Company,  whose  property  is  located  at  Cedar, 
Mohave  county,  Arizona.  There  is  a  historic  old  mine  among 
the  group  of  sixteen  claims  acquired  by  the  company,  nine 
of  which  are  patented.  It  is  the  old  Arnold  mine,  known 
to  the  old-timers  of  Arizona  because  of  its  remarkable  rich- 
ness during  the  early  days  when  labor  cost  $10  a  day  and 
supplies  had  to  be  hauled  in  overland.  A  drive  of  twenty 
miles  east  from  Yucca,  on  the  Santa  Fe,  brings  one  to  the 
property,  which  is  a  flourishing  little  camp,  known  to  the 
postal  authorities  as  Cedar,  and  the  postoffice,  which  is  the 
only  one  within  a  radius  of  twenty  miles,  is  located  in  the 
general  merchandise  store  which  the  company  maintains  at 
its  mines. 

Work  on  the  property  is  prosecuted  through  a  25O-foot 
shaft,  well  equipped  with  a  steam  hoisting  plant.  Develop- 
ment work  on  the  various  levels  is  progressing  satisfactorily, 
and  mill  returns  demonstrate  that  the  owners  of  the  old 
Arnold  mine,  operated  under  the  most  serious  disadvantages, 
had  a  bonanza  with  a  wonderful  future.  The  company  is 
operating  a  fifteen-stamp  mill,  and  an  enlargement  of  the 
plant  is  contemplated  for  the  immediate  future.  Capt. 
Thompson  has  many  other  mining  interests  in  Southern  and 
Lower  California  and  Mexico. 

Any  properties  coming  under  the  influence  of  his  manage- 
ment are  rapidly  developed,  and  the  interests  of  all  con- 
cerned religiously  conserved.  Capt.  Thompson  is  a  man  of 
great  executive  ability  and  keen  perception,  and  these  quali- 
fications have  combined  with  his  sterling  integrity  to  estab- 
lish a  most  enviable  reputation  for  him  in  mining  circles 
throughout  the  West. 


W.  W.  D.  TURNER. 


THE  men  who  have  made  fortunes  in  the  mining  regions 
of  the  West  are  striking  examples  of  the  possibilities 
offered  in  mining,  and  the  great  number  who  have 
entered  the  field  as  investors  must  stand  for  the  attractive 
nature  of  this  most  alluring  of  all  pursuits.  Almost  without 
exception,  men  who  have  applied  sound  business  principles  to 
mining  have  been  rewarded  far  beyond  the  possibilities  offered 
in  any  other  field  of  investment.  It  is,  therefore,  appropriate 
to  present  a  brief  sketch  of  the  career  of  the  above  well-known 
operator. 

Few  of  the  host  of  Col.  Turner's  friends  will  realize  that 
his  birth  took  place  sixty-seven  years  ago  in  Knox  county, 
Missouri,  and  here  the  lad  passed  his  boyhood  days  and  grew 
to  young  manhood.  Missouri  in  the  early  '30*5  was  a  frontier 
State  and  educational  advantages  were  rare,  indeed,  but  young 
Turner  early  determined  upon  securing  a  legal  education,  and 
with  but  two  terms  in  the  district  school  to  his  credit,  nothing 
daunted,  entered  a  law  office  near  his  native  place  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  after  passing  the  required  examination. 

Shortly  after  having  received  his  "  sheepskin,"  he  removed 
to  Southwestern  Missouri,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  It  was  while  there  that  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Missouri  State  Convention  that  deposed  the 
Rebel  State  government  and  inaugurated  a  loyal  government. 
Fired  with  patriotic  enthusiasm,  he  enlisted  in  the  Twentieth 
Missouri  early  in  '61,  and  served  four  years,  during  which 


time  he  was  in  numerous  engagements  and  saw  service  in  all 
parts  of  the  South.  Step  by  step  he  won  promotion  during 
the  series  of  campaigns  in  which  he  participated,  and  upon 
being  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  the  war,  was  colonel  of  the 
Twentieth  Missouri. 

In  association  with  an  old  friend,  and  later  Governor  of 
Louisiana,  he  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  New  Orleans 
under  the  firm  name  of  Turner  &  Warmoth.  The  young 
attorneys  were  accorded  immediate  recognition  and  established 
themselves  in  a  lucrative  practice.  Mobile,  Alabama,  was  the 
next  scene  of  Col.  Turner's  legal  work,  and  here  he  remained 
until  the  fall  of  1877,  when,  influenced  by  the  greater  oppor- 
tunities then  available  in  the  North,  he  removed  to  Wisconsin, 
where  he  won  prominence  for  his  knowledge  of  the  law  and 
for  his  untiring  efforts  in  behalf  of  clients.  While  a  resident 
of  Wisconsin  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature 
and  was  active  in  promoting  the  best  interests  of  the  State  in 
many  ways. 

The  year  1885  marked  a  great  migration  to  the  newly 
developed  country  opened  up  by  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad, 
and  Col.  Turner,  ever  alert  for  opportunities  to  advance,  and 
realizing  that  legal  difficulties  develop  early  in  mining  com- 
munities, swung  his  shingle  in  the  little  town  of  Spokane, 
Washington,  on  the  26th  of  September,  1885.  Spokane  at  that 
time  boasted  of  a  population  of  less  than  three  thousand,  but 
the  immensely  rich  country  tributary  to  it  gave  promise  of  a 


122 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


great  future,  and  time  has  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  Col. 
Turner's  choice.  He  was  favored  with  a  handsome  clientage, 
and  such  was  his  success  in  mining  law  suits  that  business 
grew  beyond  his  power,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he 
was  associated  with  his  brother,  United  States  Senator  George 
Turner,  and  Geo.  M.  Forster,  in  the  legal  firm  of  Turner, 
Forster  &  Turner,  a  firm  whose  reputation  was  by  no  means 
confined  to  the  limits  of  the  State  in  which  it  was  located. 
It  was  along  in  1892  that  Col.  Turner,  in  association  with 
his  law  partner,  Col.  Patton,  Maj.  Armstrong,  L.  F.  Williams, 
Col.  Ridpath,  and  other  well-known  residents  of  Spokane, 
purchased  the  Leroi  mine,  situated  at  Rossland,  British  Col- 
umbia. The  Leroi,  famous  the  world  over  as  the  big  bonanza 
of  the  boundary  country,  was  at  that  time  a  mere  prospect, 
and  was  acquired  for  the  sum  of  $30,000.  Its  value  will  best 
be  appreciated  when  it  is  announced  that  seven  years  later  the 
owners  disposed  of  it  for 


practically  $4,000.000.  As  a 
history  maker  there  has 
been  no  equal  to  it  in  the 
British  possessions  north  of 
us.  F.  August  Heinze,  the 
Montana  copper  king,  se- 
cured a  contract  to  treat 
75,000  tons  of  its  ores,  and 
to  accomplish  it  built  the 
celebrated  Trail  Creek 
smelter  on  the  Columbia 
River,  seven  miles  from  the 
mine,  and  connected  the 
two  with  a  railroad  that  for 
engineering  triumphs  ex- 
ceeded anything  noticeable 
upon  the  Canadian  Pacific. 
After  the  expiration  of  this 
contract  with  Mr.  Heinze, 
the  management  of  the  Le- 
roi erected  its  own  smelters 
at  Northport,  Washington. 
where  the  ores  of  the  mines 
are  treated  today. 

After  disposing  of  his  in- 
terest in  the  famous  Leroi. 
and  his  other  mining  prop- 
erties in  the  Northwest, 
Col.  Turner,  in  association 
with  his  brother,  the  Sena- 
tor, turned  his  attention  to 
the  building  of  the  Yellow- 
stone Park  Railroad  in 
Montana.  He  made  his 
home  at  Bozeman,  Mon- 
tana, for  five  years,  and 
devoted  the  greater  portion  of  his  time  to  the  construction  and 
operation  of  the  road,  which  leaves  the  main  line  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  about  100  miles  east  of  Helena  and  runs 
southeast  to  immense  deposits  of  coal  which  are  now  being 
marketed  in  Butte,  Great  Falls,  Anaconda  and  many  other 
smelting  centers  of  the  great  copper  State.  The  Amalgamated 
Copper  Company  has  been  operating  a  loo-ton  coking  plant 
on  the  line  of  the  road  with  such  success  that  a  new  plant  of 
equal  capacity  is  now  being  constructed  at  the  town  of  Storrs. 

Having  retired  from  the  practice  of  law  to  attend  to  the 
numerous  details  of  his  other  extensive  interests,  Col.  Turner 
for  the  past  five  years  has  been  spending  the  winters  in  Los 
Angeles,  and  since  1901  has  made  his  home  here.  Although 
he  intended  to  retire  from  further  mining  business,  he  has 


COL.   W. 


made  liberal  investments  in  city  realty,  and  is  upon  the  direc- 
torate of  the  Broadway  Bank  and  Trust  Company.  Recently 
he  has  become  interested  in  some  Arizona  properties  which 
have  been  incorporated  under  the  title  of  the  Cedar  Valley 
Mining  and  Smelting  Company.  The  property  consists  of 
some  twenty  claims  in  Mojave  county,  Arizona,  some  twenty- 
three  miles  from  Yucca,  a  station  on  the  main  line  of  the 
Santa  Fe  system.  The  mines  are  old  producers,  and  the  ores 
average  high.  Formerly  they  were  worked  when  labor  cost 
$10  a  day,  and  everything  else  was  in  proportion.  With 
improved  facilities  and  modern  methods  the  properties  have  a 
bright  future  before  them.  As  president  of  the  company,  Col. 
Turner  will  bring  to  the  corporation  a  wealth  of  mining  lore 
and  legal  knowledge  that  will  auger  well  for  the  rapid  devel- 
opment of  the  mines.  Immense  sums  are  now  being  expended 
in  opening  up  the  property,  twenty-five  miles  of  road  have 

been  built  from  the  railroad 
to  the  mines,  and  new  and 
improved  machinery  in- 
stalled for  the  mining  and 
milling  of  the  ores.  Assay 
returns  are  highly  satisfac- 
tory, and  with  ample  capital 
at  its  disposal  the  manage- 
ment is  prosecuting  work 
most  actively.  Col.  Tur- 
ner's mining  investments  in 
the  Southwest  have  been 
made  judiciously  and  only 
after  careful  investigation 
of  the  merits  of  a  proposi- 
tion. His  experience  in 
mining  has  been  extended 
over  a  period  of  nearly 
twenty  years  and  brought 
him  in  close  association 
with  many  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful operators  of  the 
West,  of  whom  he  is  one. 
Success  has  attended  the 
Colonel  in  his  mining  ven- 
tures for  the  past  twenty 
years,  and  the  measure  of 
his  success  may  be  attrib- 
uted to  meritorious  effort. 
Perseverance,  patience  and 
tenacity  of  purpose  have 
forced  fickle  Dame  For- 
tune to  smile  upon  him. 

Col.  Turner  attributes  his 
success  in  life  to  hard  work, 
and  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
seven  he  enjoys  a  vigorous 

manhood  which  well  befits  the  part  he  has  taken  in  the 
development  of  the  West. 

Col.  W.  W.  D.  Turner,  like  many  other  Colorado,  Montana 
and  Western  mining  men,  has  been  attracted  to  Los  Angeles 
by  the  geniality  of  its  climate.  Coming  here  with  the  desire 
to  spend  his  time  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  well-earned  rest  after 
forty  years  of  practice  before  the  bar  in  many  parts  of  the 
United  States,  Col.  Turner  has  taken  advantage  of  the  oppor- 
tunities awaiting  the  investor  in  this  section  and  has  re-entered 
active  life.  He  has  a  beautiful  home  on  West  Adams  street, 
in  one  of  the  most  exclusive  residence  sections  of  Los  Angeles. 
The  grounds  are  among  the  most  attractive  in  the  city,  and 
are  laid  out  with  a  wealth  of  tropical  and  semi-tropical  plants 
and  shrubs. 


RESIDENCE    OK    C.    HENRY    THOMPSON. 


RESIDENCE   OF    W.    W.    D.    TURNER. 


RESIDENCE  OF  F.  C.  KENNER. 


124 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


HENRY  JOHN  WOOLLACOTT. 


HENRY  J.  WOOLLACOTT  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City 
in  1858.  His  parents  were  among  the  little  band  of 
pioneers  who  emigrated  to  Utah  during  the  early  '50' s 
from  England.  His  father  was  a  stone  cutter  by  trade,  and 
young  Woollacott's  boyhood  was  spent  like  that  of  most  boys 
of  that  time.  After  reaching  his  twelfth  year  the  lad  never 
had  the  advantages  or  opportunities  of  further  schooling 
except  in  the  greatest  of  all  schools  presided  over  by  Experi- 
ence —  from  her  he  learned  the  lesson  well.  Having  reached 
the  age  of  twelve,  he  secured  employment  in  the  retail  grocery 
department  of  the  Walker  Brothers'  immense  general  mer- 
chandise store  in  his  native  city,  receiving  the  sum  of  $3  a 
week  as  compensation.  He  remained  with  the  firm  for  over 


HENRY  JOHN   WOOLLACOTT. 

five  years,  during  which  time  he  was  transferred  to  the  liquor 
department  and  received  better  wages.  He  learned  the  business 
thoroughly.  In  1876,  when  he  had  just  passed  his  eighteenth 
birthday,  young  Woollacott,  ever  alert  for  an  opportunity  to 
better  his  condition,  decided  to  come  to  Los  Angeles,  then  a 
little  Spanish  town  of  less  than  6000  population,  but  showing 
signs  of  an  awakening  that  was  to  arouse  the  favorable 
comment  of  all  parts  of  the  world.  With  a  capital  of  $20  cash 
he  immediately  looked  about  for  employment  in  the  vocation  in 
which  he  had  served  so  faithful  an  apprenticeship.  His  quest 
was  gratified  by  securing  a  position  with  Alex.  McKenzie  at 
the  monthly  wage  of  $50.  Mr.  Woollacott  remained  in  the 
employ  of  Mr.  McKenzie  for  the  ensuing  four  years,  when  he 
embarked  in  business  upon  his  own  account,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two.  The  time  honored  house  of  H.  J.  Woollacott 
enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  business  house  in 
this  city  that  has  continued  under  one  ownership  and  man- 
agement for  a  period  of  twenty-three  years ;  while  a  feature 


that  is  worthy  of  comment  and  one  in  which  Mr.  Woollacott 
takes  a  pardonable  pride  is  the  fact  that  his  wholesale  liquor 
business  has  been  conducted  as  quietly  and  unoffensively  as 
that  of  any  other  reputable  house  in  the  city.  The  business 
of  the  establishment  grew  from  its  very  incipiency,  and  for 
the  quarter  of  a  century  that  it  has  been  in  existence  has  built 
up  a  trade  that  extends  not  only  throughout  the  southern 
portion  of  the  State,  but  throughout  adjacent  and  Eastern 
States  as  well. 

For  sixteen  years  Mr.  Woollacott  gave  his  undivided  time 
and  attention  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  business  and  establish- 
ing the  enviable  reputation  his  brands  of  wines  have  won. 
In  1889  Mr.  Woollacott  was  associated  with  the  original 
organizers  and  founders  of  the  State  Loan  and  Trust  Com- 
pany. In  1896,  after  having  served  upon  the  board  of  direct- 
ors since  the  organization  of  the  bank,  and  as  both  second  and 
first  vice-presidents,  Mr.  Woollacott  was  tendered  the  presi- 
dency, which  he  accepted  and  has  held  ever  since,  devoting 
his  undivided  attention  to  the  duties  imposed  by  the  responsi- 
bilities of  the  office.  Aside  from  being  the  head  of  the  State 
Bank  and  Trust  Company,  Mr.  Woollacott  enjoys  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  the  only  one  of  the  original  incorporators  of  the 
bank  still  connected  with  it  in  an  official  capacity. 

When  but  a  young  man  in  his  twenties  he  became  impressed 
with  the  future  of  the  city,  and  made  a  number  of  judicious 
investments  which  serve  to  show  his  faculty  for  looking  into 
the  future.  One  instance  will  serve  as  an  illustration  of  his 
method  of  operating.  In  1883  he  purchased  property  at  the 
corner  of  Sixth  and  Spring  streets  for  $1400,  selling  it  five 
years  later  for  nearly  $20,000,  and  immediately  invested  that 
amount  in  Spring  street  property  between  Second  and  Third, 
which  now  could  not  be  purchased  for  $150,000.  Mr.  Wool- 
lacott relates  his  first  experiences  in  Los  Angeles,  when  as 
a  boy  he  worked  for  $50  a  month,  making  it  a  rule  to  save 
$42  every  month,  and  letting  that  out  at  interest.  The  result 
was  inevitable  —  a  merchant  at  twenty-two,  and  a  bank  presi- 
dent at  thirty-eight. 

Aside  from  his  mercantile  and  banking  interests  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  California  Warehouse  Company  as  treasurer 
and  director,  and  has  done  much  to  advance  its  interests.  In 
the  oil  fields  he  is  treasurer  of  the  Western  Union  Oil 
Company.  The  company  owns  valuable  property  in  the 
Santa  Maria  district,  and  under  the  present  able  manage- 
ment development  work  is  progressing  rapidly  and  satisfac- 
torily. The  Butte  Lode  Mining  Company,  of  the  famous 
Randsburg  camp,  is  one  of  the  mining  companies  in  which 
Mr.  Woollacott  displays  the  most  active  interest.  This  young 
bonanza  has  paid  dividends  of  fifty  cents  a  share  for  the 
twenty-eight  months  preceding  the  labor  disturbance  of  1903 
at  Randsburg,  and  a  continuance  of  this  remarkable  record 
followed  its  settlement. 

Often  the  best  test  of  business  sagacity  is  shown  by  the 
ability  to  grasp  an  opportunity  which  may  seem  to  others 
hazardous,  and  to  bring  it  to  a  successful  issue.  This  rare 
and  unmistakable  talent  is  possessed  to  a  remarkable  degree 
by  Mr.  Woollacott,  if  we  are  to  judge  from  the  success  which 
has  attended  the  efforts  of  the  poor  boy  who  came  to  Los 
Angeles  but  a  few  short  years  ago,  and  has  gained  the  confi- 
dence of  the  public  in  all  his  business  relations,  and  a  uni- 
versal respect  for  his  unqualified  success,  and  esteem  for  the 
manner  in  which  it  has  contributed  to  the  development  of  the 
city's  prosperity. 


SOME  ATTRACTIVE  HOMES  IN  LOS  ANGELES. 


w.  c.  PATTERSON'S  RESIDENCE. 
E.  P.  CLARK'S  RESIDENCE. 


L  N.  VAN   NUYS      RESIDENCE. 
KASPARE    CORN'S    RESIDENCE. 


126 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


MRS.  R.  O.  BUTTERFIELD. 


WHILE  California  first  won  distinction  as  a  gold- 
producing  State,  and  has  since  maintained  her  repu- 
tation as  a  producer  of  the  precious  metal,  it  is  not 
alone  from  this  mineral  that  her  source  of  wealth  is  derived. 
Until  within  the  past  few  years  comparatively  little  was 
known  of  the  lepidolite  mines  of  San  Diego  county,  but  today 
they  have  been  sufficiently  exploited  and  developed  to  have 
aroused  the  interest  of  capital  and  mining  men  in  various 
parts  of  the  United  States.  A  brief  recital  of  the  discovery 
and  development  of  the  lepidolite  mines  near  the  historic 
old  Mission  Indian  town  of  Pala,  in  San  Diego  county,  touches 
upon  the  life  and  career 
of  Mrs.  R.  O.  Butterfield, 
one  who  has  been  among 
the  most  energetic  and  ac- 
tive workers  in  San  Diego 
for  the  past  seventeen  years. 

Mrs.  R.  O.  Butterfield 
has  been  so  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  best  inter- 
ests of  San  Diego  for  so 
many  years  that  doubtless 
many  may  think  her  a 
western  woman.  A  west- 
ern woman  she  most  cer- 
tainly is,  but  not  by  birth. 
She  owes  her  nativity  to 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  she 
w.is  brought  up  surroundel 
with  every  advantage,  edu- 
cational and  otherwise.  A 
keen  student  of  human  na- 
ture, Mrs.  Butterfield  has 
profited  by  her  powers  of 
observation,  and  today  pos- 
sesses a  happy  faculty  for 
gathering  about  her  men 
and  women  of  character 
and  worth.  Alwavs  an  ex- 
tensive traveler —  and  travel 
is  a  great  educator — Mr>. 
Butterfield  first  became  in- 
terested in  the  Pacific  Coast 
and  its  great  natural  re- 
sources early  in  the  spring 
of  1887.  Together  with  as- 
sociates she  conceived  the 
idea  of  colonizing  thousands 
of  acres  of  the  rich  and  fer- 
tile soil  of  Lower  California. 

A  company  was  formed  under  the  corporate  title  of  "  The 
International  Company,"  and  large  land  grants  were  secured 
from  the  Mexican  government  which  stretched  along  the 
coast  of  Lower  California  for  many  miles.  Mrs.  Butterfield 
acted  as  agent  for  the  company  and  purchased  in  her  own 
right  a  large  tract  of  land  which  she  brought  under  cultiva- 
tion through  the  building  of  immense  irrigation  canals.  Colo- 
nists were  brought  over  from  European  countries,  and  Mrs. 
Butterfield's  indefatigable  efforts  and  energy  were  so  well 
directed  that  when  the  plans  were  consummated  over  210 
colonists  had  been  brought  into  that  region  through  her  indi- 
vidual efforts. 

After  so  successful  a  campaign  in  Lower  California,  and 


MRS.    R.    O.    BUTTERMELD. 


having  made  San  Diego  her  headquarters  during  this  period  of 
time,  it  was  quite  natural  that  Mrs.  Butterfield  should  have 
become  interested  in  that  most  alluring  of  pursuits  —  mining. 
Her  first  ventures  in  Arizona,  just  across  the  river  from 
San  Diego  county,  proved  successful,  and  the  Arizona  Giant 
Company  that  was  organized  proved  one  of  the  most  pro- 
ductive properties  in  that  mining  district.  Disastrous  litiga- 
tion during  a  number  of  years  has  greatly  retarded  its 
development,  but  few  properties  of  equal  age  can  show  a 
more  gratifying  result  than  that  found  in  the  assay  returns 
and  records  of  the  Arizona  Giant  Copper  Company. 

Since  first  she  cast  her 
fortunes  with  San  Diego, 
more  than  seventeen  years 
ago,  Mrs.  Butterfield  has 
been  one  of  the  staunches! 
and  most  loyal  supporters 
of  the  resources  of  the  Bay 
City.  She  has  invested  her 
means  freely  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  various  in- 
dustries that  have  appealed 
to  her,  and  has  not  turned 
a  deaf  ear  to  a  plea  for 
anything  designed  for  the 
public  weal. 

About  four  years  ago 
Mrs.  Butterfield  had  her  at- 
tention called  to  the  possi- 
bilities offered  investors  in 
lepidolite  deposits  near 
Mesa  Grande,  in  San  Diego 
county.  The  careful  and 
thorough  investigation  she 
made  of  the  properties  con- 
vinced her  of  its  merits, 
and  she  immediately  began 
to  acquire  land  in  th;  vicin- 
ity by  both  purchase  and 
locating.  A  company  has 
recently  been  formed  for 
the  purpose  of  developing 
the  mines,  with  Mrs.  But- 
terfield as  a  director. 
Under  the  active  and  pro- 
gressive policy  which  char- 
acterizes any  enterprise 
arousing  Mrs.  Butterfield's 
favorable  consideration,  it 
can  safely  be  stated  that  the  lepidolite  mines  of  San  Diego 
county  will  soon  be  attracting  the  attention  of  the  mining  men 
of  the  West. 

San  Diego  owes  much  to  the  energetic  personality  of 
Mrs.  Butterfield,  who  has  invested  not  only  her  own 
means,  but  interested  eastern  capitalists  in  the  development 
of  the  great  natural  and  mineral  resources  of  Lower 
California,  Arizona,  and  San  Diego  county. 

While  Mrs.  Butterfield's  time  is  necessarily  much  given 
up  to  the  many  business  enterprises  with  which  she  is  iden- 
tified, she  finds  time  to  make  and  retain  many  social  ac- 
quaintances, both  at  her  San  Diego  home  and  in  eastern 
cities,  where  she  spends  not  a  little  of  her  time, 


»»•>•»-»-»•>•» 


Sources  of  Power  for  Our  Industries 


BY  G.  W.  BURTON. 


ROM  time  immemorial  the  presence  of  petroleum      about  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Los  Angeles,  in  Pico 


in   California    has    been    a    well-known    fact. 

The  Spanish  invaders  found  the  exudations  of 

crude  oil  at  many  points.     It  was  as    thick    as    soft 


Canon.  Chas.  N.  Felton,  afterward  Senator  of  the 
United  States,  was  induced  to  join  in  an  attempt  to 
reach  this  oil.  Well  after  well  was  bored,  but  each 


pitch  on  the  to])  of  the  ground  where  the  liquid  ele-  proved  to  be  a  "  dry  hole."     Mr.  Felton,  with  match- 

ments  had  evaporated.     These  early  Spanish  settlers  less  courage,  poured  thousand  after  thousand  of  his 

called  it  brea,  and  used  it  for  many  purposes,  as  cov-  money  into  the  search,  and  at  last  was  rewarded  by 

enng    roofs    of    t  h  e  i  r  a  well  producing  a  sat- 

houses  and  making  court    I  51    isfactory  amount  of  fine, 


yards  about  their  homes 
and  sidewalks,  by  mix- 
ing it  with  gravel.  The 
first  American  settlers 
made  similar  use  of  the 
deposit. 

About  1865  some  Los 
Angeles  and  Santa  Bar- 
bara people  conceived 
the  idea  of  boring  for 
crude  oil,  and  selected 
the  Camulos  Rancho,  be- 
longing to  the  Del  Valle 
family  and  situated  in 
what  is  now  the  eastern 
portion  of  Ventura 
county,  then  part  of 
Santa  Barbara  county,  as 
the  scene  of  their  oper- 
ations. Among  those 
engaged  in  this  enter- 
prise were  Cameron  E. 
Thorn,  Stephen  H.  Mott 
and  William  R.  Row- 
land, all  still  living,  and 
enterprising  citizens  of 
Los  Angeles,  and  Hon. 
Robert  Y.  Hayne,  of 
Santa  Barbara.  The 
stock  of  this  company 
was  put  on  the  market 
and  sold  to  many  citi- 


WM.  R.  ROWLAND. 


light-gravity  oil.  The 
vein  was  discovered  and 
many  wells  were  sunk, 
each  giving  good  re- 
turns, and  the  Pacific 
Oil  Company  became  a 
successful  venture. 

In  1880  the  late  Wil- 
liam Lacy  of  Los  Ange- 
les joined  William  R. 
Rowland,  owner  of  the 
Puente  Rancho,  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Los  An- 
geles county,  to  bore  for 
oil  in  the  Puente  hills. 
It  was  new  business  in 
California,  and  only  by 
costly  experiments  and 
persistence  was  success 
possible.  The  first  wells 
were  bored  in  the  bot- 
tom of  a  canon  and  were 
shallow,  small  producers 
of  very  heavy  oil.  As 
holes  were  sunk  further 
up  the  hillsides  better 
producers  of  lighter  oil 
were  found,  and  the 
Puente  Oil  Company  be- 
came a  large  producer 
and  a  successful  venture. 

Little  further  prog- 
ress in  the  industry  was 


zens  of  the  State.    Many 

thousands  of  dollars  were  expended  in  the  search  for      made  during  the  next  ten    years.     Oil    outcroppings 

oil,  but  the  effort  was  in    vain.       Yet,    the    territory 

selected  was  on  the  edge  of  fine  oil-producing  lands. 


were  more  or  less  numerous  from  the  extreme  north- 
western corner  of  the   State  along  the  Coast  Range 
About  1875  oil  was  observed  on  the  Newhall  ranch,     mountains  jn  a  southeasterly  direction  to  the  Mexican 


128 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


border.  Many  such  outcroppings  were  known  to  exist 
in  Santa  Cruz  and  in1  San  Luis  Obispo  counties.  In- 
side the  city  of  Los  Angeles  beds  of  brea  and  other 
signs  of  oil  existed,  but  no  effort  was  made  to  develop 
this  deposit  until  nearly  1890.  Right  in  the  center  of 
the  city,  near  a  small  park  known  as  the  Second-street 
Park,  such  signs  were  abundant.  Here  the  late  Joseph 
Bayer  put  down  a  well,  and  found  a  small  producer  of 
heavy  oil.  He  followed  up  this  by  other  wells,  and 
before  his  death  he  had  over  $60,000  invested  in  the 
small  producing  wells  found  in  the  district.  E.  L. 
Doheny,  an  oil  expert  from  Pennsylvania,  who  was 


of  oil,  and  is  producing  a  good  deal  at  the  present  time. 
Few  of  the  first  wells,  although  bored  fifteen  years 
ago,  have  failed  to  yield  entirely. 

Some  time  before  the  development  of  the  Los 
Angeles  field  was  attempted,  the  Union  Oil  Company, 
under  the  inspiration  of  Lyman  Stewart  of  Los  Ange- 
les and  Thomas  R.  Bard  of  Ventura,  now  United 
States  Senator,  began  to  bore  for  oil  in  Torry  Canon 
and  other  places  in  the  mountains  of  Ventura  county, 
near  where  the  first  attempt  made  to  find  oil  in  the 
State  failed.  By  persevering  efforts  and  with  great 
expense  the  oil  was  reached.  The  ground  was  hard 


TKE    OIL    FIELDS    AT    SUMMERLAND. 


here  more  by  chance  than  design,  saw  what  was  being 
done,  and  secured  some  lots  and  put  clown  several 
of  these  shallow  wells,  producing  two  to  three  and  up 
to  five  or  more  barrels  of  heavy  oil  a  day.  This  Los 
Angeles  citv  field  from  these  small  beginnings  has 
gone  on  until  now  it  reaches  from  the  east-central 
part  of  the  city  westerly  to  the  city  limits,  and  goes 
on  into  the  country  ten  or  twelve  miles  to  the  Ca- 
huenga  hills,  where  the  Sherman  Oil  Company  has 
some  fairly  good  wells.  The  belt  is  about  half  a  mile 
wide  at  most.  This  belt  has  produced  a  great  deal 


and  the  oil  lay  as  deep  as  2700  feet  below  the  surface. 
This  is  now  generally  known  as  Sespe  district,  and  it 
is  a  large  producer  today.  The  oil  is  mostly  like  that 
of  the  Pico  Canon,  light,  and  is  generally  used  for 
refining.  A  pipe  line  has  been  laid  to  the  ocean,  and 
at  one  time  a  steamer,  specially  constructed  for  oil 
carrying,  was  owned  by  a  company  attached  to  the 
Union  Oil  Company. 

The  next  field  developed  was  the  Whittier  field, 
some  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  easterly  from  Los  Angeles 
city,  and  extending  in  a  generally  easterly  direction 


MBN  Of'  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THIS  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


129 


into  Orange  county,  going  through  Fullcrton  and  on 
to  near  the  Santa  Ana  River.  This  field  is  on  the 
south  slope  of  the  same  hills  in  which  the  Puente  field 
is  on  the  north  slope.  The  Santa  Fe  Railway  Com- 
pany secured  a  large  slice  of  territory  on  the  Olinda 
Rancho,  in  the  extreme  easterly  end  of  this  territory, 
and  did  energetic  development  work  in  that  field. 
The  oil  is  very  light,  and  much  is  sold  to  the  Standard 
Oil  Company  to  be  refined  near  San  Francisco.  The 
Santa  Fe  Company  intended  the  oil  for  fuel  on  the 
engines  used  by  the  road,  but  finds  it  an  economy  to  sell 
the  light  oil  at  over  $1  per  barrel,  and  buy 
heavy  oil  in  other  fields,  where  such  oil  has 
been  procurable  as  low  as  10  cents  per  bar- 
rel. It  is  probable  that  the  Santa  Fe  in 
this  way  has  the  cheapest  fuel  of  any  rail- 
road in  the  country.  Some  wells  in  this 
Fullerton  field  have  cost  a  great  deal  to 
bore.  One  operator  is  reported  to  have 
put  $21,000  in  one  hole  before  he  reached 
the  oil. 

Simultaneously  with  the  development  of 
the  Los  Angeles  and  Fullerton  fields,  oper- 


field  and  Joseph  Chanslor  went  into  the  same  field  and 
struck  oil,  but  not  until  they  had  spent  a  good  of 
money.  They  could  now  come  out  of  the  field  with 
a  large  fortune. 

The  last  field  developed  is  that  in  the  northern  part 
of  Santa  Barbara  county,  around  Santa  Maria  and 
Lompoc.  It  is  a  rich  field,  and  will  make  very  rich 
men  of  the  syndicate,  mostly  Los  Angeles  men,  who 
own  it. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  oil  development  in 
the  State  of  California.  It  is  a  total  of  less  than  thirty 


THE  OIL  FIELDS  !N   THE  CITY  OF  LOS  ANGELES. 


ations  were  begun  in  Kern  county,  near  Bakersfield. 
This  district  is  now  the  heaviest  producer  in  the  State, 
yielding  much  more  than  all  other  fields  put  together. 
Fresno  is  also  a  large  producer,  the  Coalinga  field 
being  one  of  the  best  in  the  State.  In  this  field  the 
chances  connected  with  such  enterprises  are  well  illus- 
trated. The  late  William  Lacy  and  his  associate, 
William  R.  Rowland,  spent  a  considerable  sum  of 
money  searching  for  oil  in  the  Coalinga  field,  and 
found  nothing.  A  few  years  later,  Charles  A.  Can- 


vears  since  the  first  producing  well  was 
found.  For  the  first  ten  years  the  pro- 
duction was  not  large.  The  product  by 
years  is  given  below. 

Today  the  Standard  Oil  Company  and 
the  two  railroads,  the  Southern  Pacific 
and  the  Santa  Fe,  control  a  large  propor- 
tion of  all  the  product  of  the  State.  The 
Standard  Oil  Company  has  a  pipe  line 
over  300  miles  in  length  from  the  Kern 
county  district  to  Point  Richmond,  near 
San  Francisco,  by  which  the  oil  is  taken 
to  the  refinery.  There  are  pumping 
plants  all  along  the  line  at  intervals,  as 
the  land  is  almost  level  over  a  great  deal 
of  the  course.  The  heavy  gravity  of  the  oil  compli- 
cates the  task  of  conveying  it  so  far. 

The  Standard  Oil  Company,  as  already  stated, 
takes  a  large  part  of  all  the  production  of  the  State. 
The  two  great  railroad  companies  take  another  large 
portion  of  it.  These  roads  have  either  purchased  ter- 
ritory and  put  down  wells,  or  they  have  bought  terri- 
tory already  developed.  The  Santa  Fe  recently  pur- 
chased territory  which  cost  over  $1,000,000.  Coal 
was  costing  the  railroads  as  high  as  $7  per  ton  before 


130 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


oil  was  discovered.  This  coal  came  from  Australia, 
British  Columbia,  the  State  of  Washington  and  even 
from  Europe.  Tests  were  made  of  the  comparative 
value  of  coal  and  oil.  Tests  have  proved  that  one 
pound  of  California  petroleum  on  a  passenger  loco- 
motive evaporated  io.g6  pounds  of  water  from  and  at 
212  deg.  F.,  as  compared  with  7.14  pounds  of  water 
under  like  conditions  evaporated  by  one  pound  bitu- 
minous coal.  This  is  rather  below  the  results  attained 
by  other  tests,  which,  in  many  cases,  show  that  from 
three  and  one-fourth  to  three  and  one-half  barrels  of 
petroleum  did  the  work  of  one  ton  of  coal.  An  evap- 
oration test  recently  made  by  the  Southern  Pacific 
Company  gives  further  evidence  of  the  superiority  of 
oil.  The  time  of  the  test  was  nine  and  one-half  hours. 
In  this  time  41,515  pounds  of  water  were  evaporated 
by  5852  pounds  of  soft  coal,  or  the  pounds  of  water 
per  pound  of  coal  was  7.09.  During  the  same  time, 
3988  pounds  of  oil,  which  was  equal  to  5987  pounds  of 
coal,  evaporated  47,529  pounds  of  water,  or  the  pounds 


is  steadily  increasing  the  number  of  its  oil-burning 
locomotives.  On  the  coast  division  of  this  line  over 
$350,000,  it  is  said,  wias  saved  last  year  over  the  cost 
of  coal.  During  the  past  year,  the  railroads  con- 
sumed, as  near  as  can  be  estimated,  fully  10,000,000 
barrels. 

Next  to  the  railroads,  the  largest  consumers  of  crude 
oil  are  the  refineries,  of  which  there  are  forty  in  oper- 
ation in  the  State.  The  largest  is  that  of  the  Standard 
Oil  Company  at  Point  Richmond,  near  San  Francisco. 
This  has  a  capacity  of  2000  barrels  a  day.  There  are 
several  refineries  in  the  Kern  district  and  several 
others  in  Los  Angeles  city.  The  base  of  the  Califor- 
nia petroleum  is  asphalt,  and  this  by-product  of  the 
refineries  is  the  most  important.  It  is  shipped  to  many 
points  in  the  United  States,  where  it  is  used  in  street 
paving,  roofing  and  other  ways.  The  residuum  of 
the  refineries  is  used  also  in  making  printers'  ink,  and 
asphalt  is  used  in  coating  water  pipes  used  in  irrigat- 
ing. An  excellent  point  is  also  made  of  the  by- 


THE   UNION    CONSOLIDATED  OIL  AND  REFINERY   COMPANY  S    PLANT,   LOS   ANGELES. 


of  water  per  pound  of  oil  was  11.9.  As  it  requires, 
according  to  practical  tests,  on  an  average  of  1000  gal- 
lons, or  twenty-four  barrels,  of  oil  for  every  hundred 
miles  a  train  is  hauled,  compared  with  five  tons  of  coal, 
the  saving  on  that  distance,  by  using  oil  at  50  cents 
a  barrel,  ranges  from  $16  to  $20.  The  actual  price 
of  the  fuel,  however,  is  not  the  only  saving.  Actual 
tests  have  shown  that  it  possesses  other  advantages 
over  coal.  Besides  reducing  the  wear  and  tear  on 
tenders  by  reason  of  less  weight  carried  on  a  single 
trip,  it  reduces  the  work  of  fire  cleaning  and  handling 
of  ashes  at  terminals.  On  the  Southern  Pacific  sys- 
tem coal  is  to  be  abandoned  absolutely,  and  the  com- 
pany is  now  practically  on  an  oil  basis.  Its  saving 
annually  on  its  fuel  bill  is  said  to  be  close  to  $4,000,000. 
The  Santa  Fe  is  also  a  heavy  consumer  of  oil,  and 


product  of  the  refineries.  Recently  the  application  of 
heavy  crude  oil  in  road-making  has  attracted  much 
attention.  The  crude  oil  coalesces  with  the  clay  and 
gravel  of  the  roads,  forming  a  thick  coat,  which,  after 
two  or  three  applications,  becomes  so  hard  that  it  lasts 
some  time.  There  is  no  dust  in  such  roads.  The 
railroads  have  learned  to  use  crude  oil  on  their  rights 
of  way  between  tracks  for  the  same  purpose  of  laying 
the  dust.  Railroad  travel  in  California  is  made  very 
comfortable  by  this  means. 

The  development  of  oil  has  had  a  very  important 
bearing  on  manufacturing  in  California,  and  most  of 
all  in  Los  Angeles.  The  cost  of  coal  used  to  make 
manufacturing  here  prohibitive.  Coal  here  cost  the 
manufacturer  from  $7  to  $n  per  ton.  Eastern  com- 
petitors got  their  coal  at  $1.50  to  $3  per  ton.  At  first 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


131 


a  most  important  thing-  to  the  fruit 
growers  of  Southern  California.  The 
rainfall  here  has  been  rather  deficient 
in  this  section  nearly  every  year  in  the 
last  ten.  The  irrigating  streams  and 
artesian  wells  have  run  low,  and  irri- 
gators  have  been  forced  to  seek  new 
supplies.  This  has  been  done  in  the  way 
of  finding  surface  wells  in  many  places. 
Pumping  plants  have  been  installed  at 
these  wells  and  abundant  water  pro- 
duced at  very  low  cost. 

Before  the  development  of  an  abun- 
dant supply  of  crude  oil,  the  importation 
of  foreign  coal  into  California  amounted 
to  as  much  as  2,000,000  tons  some  years. 
At  $6  per  ton,  the  import  cost  of  this  was 


LOOKING  SOUTHEAST  FROM 
CENTRAL  FIELD. 

there  was  much  difficulty 
experienced  in  burning  the 
crude  oil,  but  persevering 
experiments  resulted  in  ap- 
pliances which  burn  it  per- 
fectly. At  50  cents  to  even 
$1  per  barrel,  crude  oil  is  as 
cheap  here  as  coal  is  at  the 
East.  Hence,  many  manu- 
facturing enterprises  have 
been  successfully  established 
here,  and  they  are  being 
added  to  from  time  to  time. 
Cheap  crude  oil  has  been 


-•  •"  V    ' 

s 


CENTRAL  OIL  COMPANY'S  STORAGE  TANKS  AT  LOS 
NIETOS,   CAL. 


LOOKING   NORTHWEST. 

$12,000,000.  This  large  sum  of  money 
is  practically  all  kept  in  the  State  now. 

New  uses  for  crude  oil  are  continually 
coming  into  being.  Ocean-going  steam- 
ers have  experimented  in  the  use  of  oil, 
and  with  good  success.  Of  course,  the 
trouble  here  would  be  the  obtaining  of 
a  supply  of  crude  oil  at  the  out-port  for 
the  return  vovage,  and  to  carry  enough 
for  the  round-trip  on  a  long  voyage 
would  not  be  easy. 

Supply  and  demand  have  not  been 
steady  in  the  twenty-five  years  of  the 
history  of  the  industry.  At  times  there 
has  not  been  enough  to  go  round.  At 
other  times  there  has  been  twice  as  much 


132 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN    THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


as  there  was  a  market  for.  The  price  naturally  has 
fluctuated  from  $3  a  barrel  in  some  localities  at  times 
to  10  cents  in  others,  at  others.  This  caused  much 
fluctuation  in  the  production.  Up  to  the  close  of  1902 
the  whole  amount  of  the  petroleum  product  of  Cali- 
fornia from  the  time  when  mining  began  in  the  State 
is  placed  at  39,680,217  barrels,  representing  a  total 
value  of  $27,067,997.  The  consumption  in  1876  was 
12,000  barrels,  which  represented  the  total  production 
for  that  year.  Los  Angeles  county  contributed  most 
of  this  oil,  and  it  was  not  until  1891  that  oil-bearing 
strata  were  uncovered  in  the  city  of  Los  Angeles  suf- 
ficient to  cause  an  important  increase  in  the  produc- 
tion, a  total  of  99,682  barrels.  But  it  was  in  1888 
when  the  height  of  the  early  development  was  reached, 
and  in  that  year  690,000  barrels  of  oil  were  con- 
sumed in  the  State  as  a  whole.  Several  years  of 
decadence  intervened,  and  in  1889  the  consumption 
dropped  to  303,200  barrels.  Little  change  was 
recorded  until  1893,  when  the  total  output  aggregated 
470,179  barrels.  The  discovery  of  new  fields  in  Kern 
county  and  in  Santa  Barbara  really  marked  the  birth 
of  a  new  industry.  These  fields  in  1894  began  to  con- 
tribute, and  in  that  year  the  consumption  amounted 
to  705,969  barrels.  It  is  interesting  to  note  the  re- 
markable advancement  that  followed.  Investors  and 
speculators  rushed  in,  and  an  oil  boom  swept  over  the 
State.  Great  increase  in  the  consumption  of  oil  fol- 
lowed, the  consumption  growing  from  1,208,482  bar- 
rels in  1895  to  4,329,950  barrels  in  1900.  In  1901  the 
consumption  reached  7,710,315  barrels,  and  in  1902 
the  oil-producing  territory  of  California  contributed 
14,356,910  barrels  of  crude  petroleum.  The  last  year 
the  output  is  estimated  at  25,000,000  barrels,  of  a 
value  of  $12,500,000,  or  an  average  of  a  little  more 
than  50  cents  per  barrel.  The  facts  here  presented 
show  that  during  the  last  year  or  two  consumption- 
has  much  more  than  outrun  the  output,  using  up  all 
the  accumulation  of  the  previous  years,  when  the 
opposite  condition  prevailed.  The  large  amount  taken 
by  the  railroads  and  the  presence  of  the  Standard  Oil 
Company  in  the  State  as  a  refiner,  seem  to  insure  a 
steady  market  for  all  the  oil  at  all  likely  to  be  produced 
for  some  years  to  come. 

Among  the  large  users  of  crude  oil  in  the  State  are 
the  five  large  sugar  factories.  This  led  the  sugar- 
makers  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  to  use  petroleum 
instead  of  coal.  While  steamers  bound  on  long  voy- 
ages do  not  use  oil,  and  while  many  coastwise  steamers 
will  continue  to  use  coal  obtained  in  British  Columbia 
and  Washington,  the  steamers  plying  between  San 
Francisco  and  Honolulu  are  using  oil.  These  take 
dowin  crude  oil  for  the  sugar  factories  and  bring  back 
cargoes  of  sugar.  The  use  of  oil  on  roads  is  only 
at  its  beginning.  It  is  pretty  sure  to  grow  while  oil 


can  be  had  at  present  prices.  With  the  growth  of 
population  on  the  Pacific  Coast  and  of  trade  between 
here  and  China  and  Japan,  manufacturing  enterprises 
must  grow  apace.  Each  new  plant  will  create  a  de- 
mand for  more  crude  oil.  In  a  year  or  two  the  harbor 
at  San  Pedro  will  be  completed,  and  the  Salt  Lake 
road  will  be  in  operation.  The  result  is  sure  to  be 
a  great  revival  of  shipping  at  the  old  embarcadero  of 
the  caballeros.  The  oil  deposits  of  California  are  said 
by  experts  to  be  only  touched.  For  many  years  to 
come  new  development  seems  a  necessity  of  the  exist- 
ing conditions. 

At  the  present  time,  there  are  sixteen  fields  in  the 
six  districts  noted  below,  where  development  is  going 
on.  There  are  a  total  of  2750  wells  in  these  fields. 
They  vary  from  a  few  feet  deep  to  2700  feet,  and  a 
well  of  3000  feet  is  now  being  sunk  in  the  Santa  Maria 
field.  These  wells,  from  the  estimate  made  for 
1903,  seem  to  be  producing  an  average  of  about  9000 
barrels  a  year  each.  Some  of  them  produce  less  than 
500  barrels  a  year.  Most  of  them  have  to  be  pumped. 
But  many  of  them  are  great  producers,  which  require 
little  or  no  pumping..  One  well  in  the  Kern  district 
is  said  to  have  produced  oil  of  the  value  of  $250,000 
in,  four  months.  One  in  the  Coalinga  field  is  reported 
to  have  put  $5,000,000  in  the  pockets  of  its  owners  in 
a  few  years.  Nearly  every  man  who  has  gone  into 
the  oil  business  in  California  has  made  money.  Per- 
haps in  no  industry  in  the  country  has  there  been  so 
few  failures  to  make  money. 

There  are  many  points  of  minor  interest  in  the  Cali- 
fornia oil  industry.  The  gravity  varies  very  much, 
some  being  8  degrees  gravity  and  some  45  degrees. 
Some  of  the  shallow  wells  yield  oil  so  thick  it  is  almost 
asphalt,  and  the  product  of  some  is  a  light-green  oil 
almost  like  manufactured  product. 

The  insurance  companies  are  interested  in  the  use 
of  oil  as  fuel.  In  San  Francisco  there  are  said  to  be 
as  many  as  300  factories,  large  and  small  using  crude 
oil  as  fuel.  A  year  ago  an  effort  was  made  to  force 
through  the  State  Legislature  a  bill  forbidding  the 
use  of  oil  unless  it  was  so  prepared  as  to  yield  a  very 
high-flash  test.  In  the  discussion  of  this  subject  in 
committee  the  insurance  companies  showed  that  since 
the  use  of  oil  as  fuel  had  become  general  in  San  Fran- 
cisco factories,  the  fire  losses  were  much  lower  than 
had  been  the  case  when  coal  had  been  the  usual  fuel. 
The  average  reduction  of  fire  loss  was  $378,000  per 
year.  The  fire  record  in  Los  Angeles  shows  similar 
results. 

The  general  public  has  much  interest  in  the  oil  in- 
dustry. The  stimulation  cheap  fuel  has  given  to  man- 
ufacturing here  has  benefited  not  only  the  thousands 
of  people  employed  in  such  industries,  but  has  an  inti- 
mate bearing  on  the  general  business  of  the  city. 


MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


133 


Employes  must  have  homes  to  live  in,  and  they  must 
spend  their  earnings  at  stores  of  all  kinds  in  the  city. 
The  money  paid  the  wage-earner  is  seldom  hoarded. 
It  is  nearly  all  spent  as  fast  as  it  comes.  Unfortu- 
nately, it  is  too  often  spent  before  it  is  earned.  These 
Los  Angeles  factories  now  use  250,000  barrels  of  oil 
a  month.  This  includes  the  oil  used  at  refineries.  The 
promise  of  the  future  is  almost  unlimited.  There  is 


BORING    FOR  OIL. 

no  reason  .why,  with  cheap  fuel,  with  an  inexhaustible 
supply  of  the  best  iron  ore  in  the  world,  easily  acces- 
sible to  this  city,  with  a  fine  harbor  at  the  gates  of  the 
city  and  with  the  markets  of  the  ( )rient,  and  of  all  the 
American  coast  north  and  south,  nearer  to  this  point 
than  to  any  other,  the  manufacturing  should  not  grow 
rapidly.  Los  Angeles  lies  nearer  the  southern  cotton 
fields  and  nearer  the  oriental  markets  for  cotton  goods 
than  any  other  point.  Cotton  factories  ought  to  be 
possible  here. 

Thus,  looked  at  from  any  point  of  view,  the  fact  is 
forced  on  the  mind  that  the  future  of  the  California 
oil  industry  is  something  all  but  impossible  to  over- 
estimate. It  is  not  an  iridescent  dream  to  guess  that 
before  many  years  pass,  the  production  of  crude  oil  in 
this  State  will  reach  a  total  of  50,000,000  barrels. 


Large  fortunes  have  been  made  in  the  business.  Large 
fortunes  will  continue  to  be  made  in  it. 

Since  1887  the  annual  production  has  been  as  fol- 
lows, being  the  official  figures  of  the  State  Mining 
liureau  on  Petroleum: 

BARRELS. 

1887  ................      678,572 

1888  ................      690,333 

1^89  ................      303,220 

1890  ................      307.360 

1891  ................      323,600 

'892  ................      385,049 

1893  ................      470,179 

1894  ................      783,078 

1895  ................    1,245,339 

1896  ................    1,257,780 

1  897  ................    i  ,91  1  ,569 

1898  ................   2,249,088 

1899  ................  2,677,875 

1900  ................  4,329,950 


1902  ................  14,356,910 

*iox>3  ...............  25,000,000 


VALUE. 

$1,357,144 
1,380,666 
368,048 
384,200 

401,264 

561,333 

608,092 

1,064,521 
1,000,235 
1,180,793 

1,918,269 

2,376,420 

2,600,793 
4,152,928 
2,961,102 
4,692,189 
12,500,000 


fc  Estimated. 


Surely  the  exhibit  here  made  is  an  inspiring  one. 
By  districts  for  the  year  1902,  the  yield  was  as  fol- 
lows: 

BARRELS. 

1 .  Los  Angeles    2,198,496 

2.  Kern    9,777,948 

3.  Fresno    57I,233 

4.  Orange    1,103,793 

5.  Santa   Barbara    230,440 

6.  Ventura    475,000 


VALUE. 

$1,075,868 

1,955,585 

199,931 

824,492 


455-000 


14,356,910  $4,692,189 

1.  Los  Angeles  City,  Whittier,  Newhall,  Puente. 

2.  Kern  River,  Sunset,  Midway,  McKittrick. 

3.  Coalinga. 

4.  Fullerton,  P>rea  Canon. 

5.  Summerland,  Santa  Maria,  Lompoc. 

6.  Santa  Paula,  Sespe  Canon,  etc. 

In  the  two  tables  presented  above,  much  difference 
will  be  noted  in  the  price  of  the  oil.  This  is  due  to 
the  varying  quality,  or  gravity,  of  the  product,  and 
to  the  remoteness  of  the  field  from  the  market. 


134 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


CENTRAL  OIL  COMPANY,  OF  LOS  ANGELES. 


ONE  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  development 
in  Los  Angeles  county  and  Southern  California  during 
the  past  few  years  has  been  the  greatly  increased  pro- 
duction of  petroleum.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  petroleum 
has  been  produced  on  a  limited  scale  in  Los  Angeles  and 
Ventura  counties,  but  it  is  only  within  the  past  few  years, 
since  the  discovery  of  a  rich  field  within  the  city  limits  of 
Los  Angeles,  that  the  industry  has  assumed  great  importance. 
Today  the  petroleum  industry  of  Southern  California  is 
attracting  the  attention  of  capitalists  throughout  the  country. 
While  development  has  been  extended  into  other  counties, 
Los  Angeles  still  ranks  high  in  the  production  of  petroleum, 
having  produced  in  1902  about  25  per  cent,  of  the  total  output 
of  the  State,  which  was  estimated  at  14,000,000  barrels. 
Among  the  oil  companies  that  have  contributed  in  a  generous 
degree  to  swelling  this  immense  annual  production,  few 
occupy  a  more  prominent  position  in  Los  Angeles  county 
than  the  above  named  company. 

The  history  of  the  company,  from  the  time  of  its  organi- 
zation in  January,  1900,  to  the  present  time,  has  been  that  of 
one  unbroken  string  of  successes.  Capitalized  for  $1,000,000 
with  200,000  shares  in  the  treasury  and  800,000  shares  out,  the 
company  has  paid  dividends  amounting  to  over  $200,000,  and 
this  year  will  pay  over  7  per  cent,  in  addition  to  prosecuting 
development  work  with  unabated  activity.  It  is  free  from 
indebtedness,  and  directed  by  men  who  have  won  enviable 
reputations  as  men  of  exceptional  business  acumen. 

One  of  the  most  desirable  features  in  regard  to  the  Cen- 
tral Oil  Company's  property  is  its  accessibility  and  consequent 
low  cost  of  transportation  to  the  markets.  The  2200  acres 
owned  by  the  company  lie  about  one  and  one-half  miles  east 
of  the  town  of  Whittier,  which,  by  the  way,  owes  much  of 
its  prosperity  to  the  presence  of  this  million  dollar  corpora- 
tion. The  excellence  of  its  location  can  best  be  appreciated 
when  it  is  known  that  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company's 
tracks  are  but  four  miles  from  the  property,  while  the  South- 
ern Pacific  and  the  Salt  Lake  Railroad  companies  run  within 
one  and  one-half  miles  of  the  land  owned  by  the  company. 

The  first  prospecting  on  the  ground  was  done  by  the  former 
owners  in  the  summer  of  1895,  at  which  time  a  well  was 
sunk  1000  feet  and  a  good  flow  of  oil  struck.  In  fact,  the 
well  is  still  producing,  thus  establishing  the  theory  that 
the  district  is  a  lasting  one.  Since  that  date  development 
work  has  resulted  in  thirty-four  producing  wells,  while 
five  drilling  outfits,  owned  by  the  company,  are  constantly 
employed  on  additional  wells.  It  is  a  significant  fact  that  the 
deep  wells  are  the  most  productive,  and  the  thirty-four 
wells  are  now  producing  over  25,000  barrels  of  oil  monthly. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  in  this  connection  that  the  produc- 
tion is  steadily  increasing  under  the  policy  adopted  by  the 
management,  and  this  year  will  witness  a  total  production 
double  that  of  1903. 

The  shipping  facilities  of  the  Central  Oil  Company  are 
most  excellent.  At  the  junction  of  the  Santa  Fe  and  the 
Southern  Pacific  Railroad  tracks,  four  miles  from  the  com- 
pany's oil  land,  five  acres  of  land  have  been  purchased  upon 
which  have  been  constructed  storage  tanks  with  a  capacity 
of  40,000  barrels,  together  with  such  pipe  lines  for  loading 
as  are  required  for  the  prompt  filling  of  ten  cars  at  once. 
These  storage  tanks  are  connected  with  the  receiving  and  set- 
tling tanks  at  the  wells  by  a  four-and-one-half-mile  four-inch 
pipe  line.  No  pumping  is  required,  as  the  elevation  of  the 
company's  oil  land  above  the  storage  tanks  is  over  750  feet, 
thereby  providing  sufficient  pressure  to  insure  a  rapid  flow 
to  the  storage  tanks  from  the  wells. 


The  water  problem,  which  confronts  many  oil  companies 
operating  in  remote  places  as  one  of  their  most  serious  diffi- 
culties, has  been  solved  by  the  Central  Oil  Company  in  a 
most  satisfactory  manner.  It  owns  five  acres  of  land  in  the 
town  of  Whittier,  where  it  has  built  a  cement  reservoir  with 
a  capacity  of  750,000  gallons,  and  into  this  reservoir  is  received 
an  ample  supply  of  water  from  artesian  wells.  Another 
reservoir  capable  of  holding  420,000  gallons  is  located  on  the 
company's  oil  land  two  and  one-quarter  miles  distant,  and 
connected  with  the  receiving  reservoir  by  a  six-inch  pipe 
line,  through  which  powerful  pumping  machinery  forces 
10,000  gallons  per  hour.  This  supply  is  not  only  ample  for 
its  own  needs,  but  permits  the  company  to  dispose  of  large 
quantities  to  consumers  in  that  vicinity.  As  from  thirty-five 
to  forty  men  are  constantly  employed  in  prosecuting  the  work 
of  the  company,  quite  a  little  settlement  is  maintained  on  the 
ground.  A  feature  that  is  of  great  advantage  is  the  presence 
of  skilled  blacksmiths  and  machinists,  together  with  a  com- 
pletely equipped  machine  shop,  permitting  of  all  necessary 
repairs  on  the  ground  without  incurring  the  loss  of  time  that 
would  be  occasioned  if  the  company  had  to  send  all  repair 
work  to  the  city.  The  wells  are  operated  by  pumping  jacks, 
capable  of  pumping  from  ten  to  a  dozen  wells  each,  although 
most  of  the  deeper  wells  are  provided  with  walking  beams. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  Whittier  oil  has  established 
a  reputation  that  makes  it  much  sought  for  by  consumers. 
It  is  said  by  some  refiners  to  make  a  better  illuminating  oil 
than  the  Coalinga  product  with  38  degrees  gravity,  or  the 
Ventura  oil  with  34  degrees  gravity.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  in  one  specific  case,  where  the  Central  Oil  Com- 
pany furnished  a  local  consumer  with  10,000  barrels  of  oil  in 
one  lot,  that  he  deducted  but  nine  and  one-half  barrels  for 
moisture  out  of  the  entire  consignment.  This  is  no  doubt 
due  to  the  fact  that  especial  care  is  taken  in  handling  the  oil 
both  at  the  receiving,  settling  and  storage  tanks,  it  being  the 
custom  to  settle  the  oil  before  shipping. 

Often  the  best  test  of  business  sagacity  is  shown  by  the 
ability  to  grasp  an  opportunity  which  may  seem  to  others 
hazardous,  and  to  bring  it  to  successful  issue.  This  rare 
and  unmistakable  talent  is  possessed  in  a  marked  degree  by 
the  officers  of  the  above  company,  and  no  better  evidence 
could  be  desired  than  that  afforded  by  the  success  of  the 
Central  Oil  Company.  Mr.  W.  W.  Neuer,  the  president  of 
the  company,  is  a  gentleman  with  previous  experience  in  the 
oil  regions  of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  operated  successfully 
during  the  latter  '7o's.  It  is  largely  due  to  his  untiring 
energy  and  practical  experience  that  the  company  has  suc- 
ceeded where  others  failed.  Mr.  Robert  N.  Bulla,  the  secre- 
tary of  the  company,  is  prominent  in  the  legal  profession 
and  a  well  known  figure  in  the  political  arena  of  the  State, 
where  he  was  a  successful  candidate  for  the  State  Senator- 
ship  during  the  years  1897  and  1899.  His  knowledge  of  the 
intricacies  of  the  law  has  without  doubt  contributed  much  to 
the  success  of  the  company  in  assisting  it  to  avoid  disastrous 
litigation.  Mr.  H.  R.  Lacey  occupies  the  position  of  super- 
intendent of  the  company,  and  personally  supervises  all  field 
work.  He  has  been  identified  with  the  company  from  its 
incipiency,  and  is  largely  interested  in  its  stock.  All  are 
men  of  substantial  character  and  resources,  and  as  a  firm 
present  one  of  the  strongest  associations  of  business  talent 
in  the  city.  It  commands  the  confidence  of  the  public  in  all 
its  business  relations,  a  universal  respect  for  its  unqualified 
success,  and  esteem  for  the  manner  in  which  it  has  con- 
tributed to  the  development  of  one  of  the  State's  greatest 
industries. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


135 


MRS.  EMMA  A.  SUMMERS. 


DURING  the  past  few  years  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
features  of  development  in  Southern  California  has 
been  the  greatly  increased  production  of  petroleum. 
For  a  number  of  years  previous  to  the  excitement  of  the 
early  'go's  there  had  been  a  small  amount  of  oil  produced  in 
this  county,  but  it  has  been  since  the  discovery  of  the  rich 
field  within  the  city  limits  of  Los  Angeles  that  the  industry 
has  assumed  a  place  that  gives  it  rank  with  the  mining  inter- 
ests of  the  Southwest,  and  there  is  abundant  evidence  that 
within  a  few  years  California  will  be  the  leading  petroleum 
State  of  the  Union,  and  that  the  value  of  the  oil  product 
will  equal  that  of  the  gold  mines. 

Emma  A.  Summers  is  a  Kentuckian  by  birth,  having  been 
born  and  educated  in  Hickman,  that  State.  Her  father  was 
a  local  merchant  and  banker,  and  possessed  of  what  at  that 
time  was  considered  ample 
means.  At  an  early  age  the  lit- 
tle miss  developed  marked 
musical  talent,  and  upon  com- 
pleting her  education  in  her 
native  State,  entered  upon  a 
complete  course  at  the  New 
England  Conservatory  of 
Music,  in  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts. Success  attended  her 
studies  in  a  most  gratifying 
degree,  and  in  the  summer  of 
1879  she  received  her  diploma 
and  graduated  from  that  cele- 
brated institution  of  musical 
culture.  Returning  to  her 
home,  she  remained  but  a  com- 
paratively short  time  before  be- 
ing married  to  Mr.  A.  C.  Sum- 
mers. In  the  year  1881  the 
young  married  couple,  deter- 
mined upon  carving  a  fortune 
out  of  the  rugged  West,  moved 
to  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  where 
they  remained  for  two  years, 
Mrs.  Summers  forming  a  circle 
of  most  cultured  and  delightful 
friends.  In  1883,  however,  re- 
ports of  the  attractions  of 
Southern  California  proved  so 
irresistible  that  the  same  year 
found  her  a  resident  of  this 
city.  It  is  not  the  intention  to 

follow  her  career  through  the  ten  years  that  intervened 
between  her  arrival  in  Los  Angeles  and  the  commencement 
of  the  oil  excitement  in '92-3.  Suffice  to  say  that  her  executive 
ability  and  ambition  would  crop  out  at  most  unexpected  inter- 
vals, and  for  a  number  of  years  during  the  "  boom  "  she  made 
purchases  of  real  estate,  disposing  of  them  all  to  advantage. 
She  is  the  owner  of  much  realty  in  various  parts  of  the 
city,  all  of  which  she  has  made  revenue-producing.  Her 
musical  genius,  too,  was  evidenced  in  her  class  of  pupils, 
organized  to  pass  away  the  idle  hours,  as  Mrs.  Summers  is 
an  indefatigable  worker,  and  does  not  believe  in  "  idle 
hours."  Many  of  her  former  pupils  have  continued  the  mus'i- 
cal  training  commenced  under  her1  tutelage,  and  have  won 
prominence  in  their  profession. 

Business  perception  and  executive  ability  were  her  heritage, 
and  these  had  been  supplemented  by  associations  which  fitted 


EMMA   A.    SUMMERS 


her  for  the  creation,  control  and  expansion  of  extensive  inter- 
ests. Naturally  when  oil  was  first  discovered  in  the  vicinity 
of  her  home  on  California  street,  Mrs.  Summers  was  early 
on  the  ground  in  the  morning  of  its  fame.  That  she  secured 
a  good  location  for  her  first  well  is  best  evidenced  when  it  is 
announced  that  the  well  is  still  producing  after  ten  years' 
pumping.  It  is  located  on  Court  street,  near  Temple,  in  what 
was  formerly  the  very  heart  of  the  oil  belt.  Since  that  day, 
Mrs.  Summers  has  sunk  many  wells  in  various  parts  of  the 
oil  field,  and  today  she  is  operating  fourteen  which  she  owns. 
But  to  estimate  her  position  in  the  oil  circles  of  Los  Angeles 
by  the  production  of  these  fourteen  wells  would  be  erroneous, 
for  be  it  known  that  this  soft-spoken,  pleasant-faced  little 
Southern  lady  is  the  heaviest  individual  operator  in  the  dis- 
trict, and  is  known  on  "  the  street "  as  the  "  Oil  Queen,"  a 

title  that  she  has  earned  by 
virtue  of  her  extensive  and  stu- 
pendous operations  in  the  local 
fields.  It  is  authoritatively 
announced  that  she  deals  in 
over  50,000  barrels  of  the  sticky 
stuff  every  month,  yet  in  her 
handsomely-appointed  offices  in 
the  Mason  Opera  House  build- 
ing there  is  no  evidence  of  this 
vast  amount  of  oil  (enough  to 
float  a  battleship),  unless  it  be 
in  the  extensive  correspondence 
and  innumerable  telegrams  that 
are  constantly  being  received. 

Some  idea  of  the  extent  of 
her  operations  may  be  gained 
from  the  knowledge  that  she 
has  contracts  with  such  oil- 
consuming  plants  as  those  oper- 
ated by  the  Los  Angeles  Rail- 
way Company,  the  San  Pedro, 
Los  Angeles  and  Salt  Lake 
Railroad,  the  Redondo  Railway 
Company,  the  Pacific  Light  and 
Power  Company,  the  Ice  and 
Cold  Storage  Company,  besides 
a  number  of  oil  refineries  and 
practically  every  large  hotel, 
laundry  and  machine  shop  in 
the  city. 

Mrs.  Summers  has  always 
acted  independently  in  her  ope- 
rations, and  the  measure  of  success  her  ventures  have  yielded 
must  be  credited  to  her  individuality  and  personal  efforts.  She 
lives  in  an  artistic  and  comfortable  home  on  California  street, 
where  she  has  resided  for  many  years  before  Fortune 
bestowed  her  smiles  upon  her,  preferring  to  remain  in  the 
old  home  to  seeking  other  surroundings,  though  it  is  a  well- 
known  fact  that  she  could  be  mistress  of  the  most  preten- 
tious residence  in  Los  Angeles  should  she  choose  to  do  so. 
In  business  circles  her  opinions  are  sought  for  and  valued 
by  bankers,  mining  men  and  successful  business  men  of  years 
of  long  experience.  Her  office  is  beset  with  persons  seeking 
interviews  to  present  Utopian  schemes.  For  a  while  these 
proved  a  source  of  amusement,  being,  in  instances,  so  absurd 
as  to  pass  belief.  But  such  fanciful  propositions  received 
the  peremptory  dismissal  they  merited,  and  when  they 
became  a  nuisance,  measures  were  taken  to  forestall  them. 


136 


MEN  or  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


RUFUS   H.  HERRON. 


RUFUS  H.  HERRON  came  to  Los  Angeles  at  about 
the  time  of  the  first  discoveries  of  a  rich  field  of 
petroleum  almost  within  the  city  limits.  He  has  since 
been  closely  identified  with  the  great  industry,  and  has  done 
as  much  to  advance  its  interests  as  any  man  in  the  State. 
Having  had  an  experience  covering  a  number  of  years  in  the 
great  oil  regions  of  Western  Pennsylvania  and  West  Vir- 
ginia, it  will  be  seen  that  he  brought  to  the  coast  not  only 
his  own  private  capital,  but  an  invaluable  experience,  both  of 
wmch  he  freely  invested  in  this  greatest  of  Southern  Califor- 
nia's young  enterprises. 

Rufus  H.  Herron  owes  his  nativity  to  Pennsylvania,  where 
away  back  in  smoky  old 
Pittsburgh  he  was  born  in 
'49.  As  a  youth  he  evi- 
denced a  rare  determination 
of  purpose  and  character; 
as  a  man  of  affairs  these 
characteristics  have  been 
even  more  pronounced.  His 
education  was  obtained  in 
the  Western  University  of 
his  native  city,  and  there 
the  boy  grew  to  man's  es- 
tate. Having  early  dis- 
played a  fondness  for  busi- 
ness, he  secured  a  position 
with  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road, where  he  acquired 
much  valuable  knowledge 
that  he  used  in  good  stead 
when  later,  resigning  his 
railroad  position,  he  became 
associated  with  his  father 
and  brother  in  the  real  es- 
tate and  brokerage  business 
in  Pittsburgh.  When  later 
his  father  was  appointed 
Pension  Agent,  Mr.  Herron 
assumed  charge  of  the  of- 
fice and  conducted  it  for  a 
period  of  four  years  most 
satisfactorily. 

Although  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  William  A. 
Herron  &  Sons  until  1890, 
Mr.  Herron's  interests  were 
by  no  means  confined  to 
the  real  estate  and  broker- 
age business  of  which  he 
was  a  partner.  He  ac- 
quired holdings  in  various 
portions  of  the  oil  fields  of  both  Western  Pennsylvania  and 
the  adjoining  State  of  West  Virginia.  So  assiduously  did  he 
apply  himself  to  business  that  in  1890,  after  having  met  with 
gratifying  success  in  his  operations  in  the  field,  he  was  com- 
pelled on  account  of  failing  health  to  retire  from  active  busi- 
ness life  and  seek  to  recuperate  in  a  less  rigorous  climate. 
After  traveling  extensively  throughout  the  Southern  States, 
and  the  famous  watering  places  of  the  Continent,  he  finally 
came  to  Los  Angeles  in  1893,  after  having  been  retired  for 
three  years.  At  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  Southern  California 


RUFUS    H.    HERSON 


he  had  abandoned  all  idea  of  ever  again  engaging  in  business, 
but  so  beneficial  was  the  climate  and  so  ambitious  the  man, 
that  shortly  after  his  arrival  the  opportunities  afforded  in  the 
then  newly  discovered  oil  fields  proved  irresistible.  Profiting 
by  his  experience  in  the  older  oil  regions  of  the  East,  he 
decided  to  open  an  oil  well  supply  house  in  this  city,  and 
accordingly  in  1895,  two  years  after  his  arrival  in  the  State, 
opened  the  first  oil  well  supply  house  on  the  coast.  Realizing 
the  importance  and  necessity  of  having  supplies  available 
without  expensive  delays,  he  shortly  after  opened  a  second 
establishment  in  the  heart  of  the  Coalinga  district ;  this  was 
followed  by  a  third  house  in  San  Francisco,  which  was 

designed  to  supply  all  the 
rich  territory  then  being  de- 
veloped in  the  northern  part 
of  the  State.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  note,  in  this  connec- 
tion, that  Mr.  Herron  is  the 
only  man  selling  this  class 
of  goods  on  the  coast  who 
has  been  an  operator,  and 
fully  understands  the  re- 
quirements of  the  business. 
As  sole  agent  for  the  Oil 
Well  Supply  Company  of 
Pittsburgh,  he  represents 
the  largest  manufacturers  of 
oil  well  supplies  in  the  world, 
and  is  enabled  to  keep 
in  constant  touch  with  the 
fluctuations  of  the  market. 
The  success  which  attended 
the  establishment  of  the  first 
three  houses  induced  Mr. 
Herron  to  still  further  in- 
crease his  facilities  for  sup- 
plying the  market  by  open- 
ing stores  in  Bakersfield, 
McKittrick  and  Mariposa, 
all  of  which  carry  complete 
stocks  of  the  machinery, 
tools  and  supplies  in  de- 
mand in  their  respective  sec- 
tions. Nothing  required  by 
the  trade  is  too  small  or 
nothing  too  large  to  be 
found  and  secured  in  these 
establishments.  In  the  line 
of  engines,  boilers,  belting, 
cordage,  Reading  casing 
(which  is  by  the  way  made 
of  iron  and  far  superior 

to  steel  for  the  purpose,)  drilling  and  fishing  tools,  the  stock 
is  complete.  "  Fishing  "  tools,  which  are  expensive  pieces  of 
mechanism  owing  to  patents,  etc.,  are  rented  at  a  nominal 
charge,  thereby  enabling  drillers  in  need  of  such  appliances 
to  take  advantage  of  this  progressive  idea,  without  incurring 
the  expense  of  purchasing  a  tool  that  might  not  again  be 
required  for  a  year. 

As  an  operator,  Mr.  Herron  has  been  active  ever  since  his 
introduction  to  the  oil  fields  of  the  State.  He  was  one  of 
the  first  men  to  enter  the  Summcrland  district  in  Santa 


MEN  Of'  ACHIEVEMENT  IN    THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


137 


Barbara   county,   and   organized   the   Duqucsne   Oil   Company 
in  company  with  Thomas  D.  Wood,  an  old   Pittsburg  friend. 
This  is  a  close  corporation,  and  owns  a  large  ocean  frontage 
in    that    well    known    district.     Thirty    wells    are    producing 
at     the    present     time,     while     development     work     is    being 
actively  prosecuted  on  other  parts  of  the  property,  which  is 
the   most   uniquely   situated   of  any  in  the   State.     Owing  to 
the    location   of   the   property,    exceptional    shipping   facilities 
arc    at     the     com- 
mand of  the  com- 
pany,   although    at 
present  the   oil    is 
sold  on  the  ground. 
Mr.     Herron     is 
intere  s  t  e  d    in    a 
proposition    near 
Santa  Maria,  which 
gives  promise  of  a 
great  future.       He 
was  the  pioneer  in 
Colusa     county, 
north  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  operated 
in     the     Fullerton 
fields.    In  the  Coa- 
linga      district     he 
\-as     among     t  h  e 
first  and  most  en- 
ergetic   developers 
of  that  region,  and 
was  for  a  time  in- 
terested largely  in 
the  local  west  end 
oil     fields.       The 
growing     demands 
of  his  business  made  it  imperative  to  devote  almost  his  entire 
time  to  its  needs,  and  at  present  he  has  disposed  of  all  of  his 
interests  except  those  in   Santa  Barbara  county. 


With  injustice  to  none,  it  may  safely  be  stated  that  few 
other  men  in  the  State  have  contributed  in  so  generous  a 
degree  to  the  success  and  development  of  this  great  industry 
as  Mr.  Herron.  He  organized  and  was  president  of  the  first 
oil  exchange  of  the  State  —  the  Los  Angeles  Oil  Exchange 
—  and  held  at  the  same  time  the  position  of  vice-president 
of  the  San  Francisco  Oil  Exchange.  lie  has  given  freely 
of  his  private  fortune  to  the  promotion  of  the  interests  of 

petroleum     in     the 

State,  and  has  been 
one  of  the  most 
active  members  of 
the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  the  Los 
Angeles  Board  of 
Trade,  and  other 
prominent  local  or- 
ganizations. It  was 
he  who  founded 
the  Manufactur- 
ers' Associ  a  t  i  o  n, 
which  later  was 
merged  into  the 
Merchants'  and 
Manufacturers'  As- 
sociation. 

He  is  a  director 
of  the  Southern 
California  Masonic 
Home  Association, 
a  Shriner,  a  Knight 
Templar,  a  Thirty- 
second  Degree 
Mason,  a  Son  of 
Ihe  Revolution,  and 
a  member  of  the  Loyal  Legion,  while  among  the  social  clubs 
he  is  equally  well  known,  !>iirg  a  member  cf  the  California 
Club  of  this  city. 


KKSII.ENCi:    OF    RUFUS    H.    HERRON. 


RESIDENCE  OF  MRS.  EMMA  A.  SUMMERS. 


138 


MEN  Of  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


W.  W.  NEUER. 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA  is  one  of  thz  world's  great- 
est sanatoriums,  and,  in  viewing  the  influence  of  the 
climatic  conditions  upon  the  growth  and  prosperity  of 
Los  Angeles,  the  casual  observer  is  likely  to  overlook  many 
other  noted  features  of  the  city's  supremacy.  Long  ago  the 
fame  of  its  climatic  and  scenic  attractions  overbalanced 
our  natural  undeveloped  resources,  and  it  is  not  surprising 
that  this  has  also  distanced  the  report  of  the  progressive  and 
enterprising  spirit  which  dominates  the  business  element  of 
Los  Angeles.  To  this  characteristic,  not  less  than  to  the 
wealth  of  natural  resources  with  which  nature  has  endowed 
this  section  of  the  State,  Los  Angeles  owes  her  development; 
and  it  is  the  purpose  of  the 
writer  to  present  in  these 
sketches  the  most  striking 
examples  of  individual  en- 
ergy our  rich  field  affords. 

W.  W.  Neuer  was  born 
in  the  little  village  of  Ham- 
burg, in  Central  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  the  year  1839.  He 
is  descended  from  staunch 
old  Pennsylvania  stock,  his 
great  grand  parents  having 
immigrated  to  this  country 
and  settled  in  William 
Penn's  colonies  early  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  As  a 
lad,  young  Neuer  attended 
the  schools  of  his  native 
town  until  attaining  the 
age  cf  fourteen,  at  which 
time  he  commenced  to  earn 
his  living,  and  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  carpenter 
and  joiner,  during  which 
time  he  also  studied  archi- 
tecture. 

While  yet  a  young  man 
Mr.  Neuer  removed  to 
Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  and  be- 
came engaged  in  the  build- 
ing and  real  estate  business, 
where  for  many  years  he 
was  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession,  and 
his  architectural  skill  was 
evidenced  in  erecting  many 
of  the  most  imposing  public 
and  private  buildings  in  thr.t  ^ 

handsome  city.  For  nearly  a  third  of  a  century  Mr.  Neuer 
was  a  resident  of  Wilkesbarre,  during  which  time  his  name 
was  prominently  associated  with  the  real  estate  and  other 
interests  of  that  city.  His  confidence  was  manifested  in  large 
personal  holdings,  which  included  some  of  the  choicest  resi- 
dence and  business  property.  He  did  more  than  buy  for 
speculation ;  he  improved  property  and  made  it  revenue-pro- 
ducing. Several  of  the  handsomest  and  most  sightly  resi- 
dence sections  of  Wilkesbarre  were  platted  and  placed  upon 
the  market  through  Mr.  Neuer's  personal  efforts. 

In  1878  Western  Pennsylvania  was  in  the  midst  of  an  oil 
"  boom."     Mr.   Neuer  had  established  a   reputation   for  clear 


W.   W.    NEUKR. 


judgment  and  keen  perception,  which  had  always  been 
guided  by  conversatism,  and  his  reputation  in  business  and 
financial  circles  was  that  of  a  man  of  high  authority  and 
strict  integrity.  When  he  entered  the  oil  fields  in  the  vicinity 
of  Bradford,  Pa.,  in  the  year  1878,  he  had  had  no  previous 
experience  in  those  lines,  but  a  ripe  business  experience  soon 
demonstrated  that  correct  business  principles  were  quite  a 
match  for  luck  in  the  exploitation  and  development  of  the 
virgin  territory  which  he  entered  at  that  time.  Success 
attended  his  efforts,  and  after  a  time  he  practically  retired 
from  the  field,  so  far  as  his  personally  directing  affairs  was 
concerned,  although  he  still  retained  extensive  interests 

there  for  many  years. 

In  1891,  after  having  led 
an  exceptionally  active  life 
for  over  forty  years,  Mr. 
Neuer  came  to  Southern 
California  and  Los  Angt- 
les,  with  the  intention  of 
practically  retiring  from 
business  cares.  Either  the 
genial  climate  imbued  him 
with  renewed  energy  or  so 
many  years  in  the  business 
world  induced  habits  that 
were  hard  to  throw  off,  for 
in  less  than  two  years  after 
his  adopting  this  city  as  his 
home,  we  find  him  a  pio- 
neer in  the  Whittier  oil 
fields,  which  at  that  time 
had  been  prospected  and  re- 
ported adversely  upon.  In 
1895  Mr.  Neuer  organized 
the  old  Central  Oil  Com- 
pany, and  commenced  the 
active  development  of  the 
Whittier  fields  in  the  face 
of  the  unsuccessful  efforts 
of  other  parties  on  the 
ground.  For  five  years  the 
company  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Neuer,  its  pres- 
ident and  leading  spirit, 
continued  the  development 
of  the  property  they  had 
acquired  in  that  section, 
finally  selling  out  to  the 
Central  Oil  Company  of 
Los  Angeles,  of  which  Mr. 

Neuer  is  also  president,  and  under  which  title  the  company 
has  been  working  for  the  past  four  years. 

A  complete  story  descriptive  of  the  company,  its  history 
and  operations,  will  be  found  in  another  portion  of  this  book. 
A  review  of  the  career  of  W.  W.  Neuer  furnishes  food  for 
reflection  for  the  youth  of  today.  Starting  in  life  as  clerk  in 
a  village  store  at  wages  of  $i  a  week,  he  had,  by  frugality 
and  rare  business  acumen,  acquiring  quite  a  fortune  at  age  of 
thirty-two.  For  ten  years  he  was  an  honored  member  of  the 
City  Council  of  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  each  succeeding  election 
finding  him  the  unanimous  choice  of  his  constituents.  A 
pioneer  in  the  Western  Pennsylvania  oil  fields  in  1878  he 


MEN  O1}  ACHI&VBMENT  /A*  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


139 


The  success  which  has  attended 
his  efforts  is  purely  the  result  of 
meritorious  effort.  Inher- 
iting little  but  a  steadfast 
honesty  of  purpose,  it  was 
~,  doubtless  emula  t  i  o  n  of 
those  virtues  in  his  sturdy 
parents  that  instilled  into 
Mr.  Neuer's  character  that 
industry  and  probity  which 
have  marked  his  career,  and 
it  seems  but  the  fulfillment 
of  a  just  destiny  that  life 
should  hold  in  store  for 
such  a  man  the  rewards 
of  usefulness  —  wealth  and 
position. 


reaped  the  reward  offered 
the  fearless  and  yet  con- 
servative investor  in  that 
most  alluring  of  pursuits, 
and  again,  about  twenty 
years  later,  we  find  him 
opening  virgin  territory  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the 
continent. 

Mr.  Neuer's  architectural 
taste  has  found  expression 
in  the  building  of  a  beau- 
tiful home  in  one  of  the 
city's  most  exclusive  residence  sec- 
tions. Here  he  lives  and  entertains 
in  a  manner  befitting  his  rank  and 
station  in  life.  His  life  is  open 
and  true-hearted,  reflecting  the  open- 
handed  generosity  of  the  West. 
Among  mining,  business  and  financial 
men  he  is  held  in  high  esteem  and 
enjoys  the  confidence  of  those  who 
know  him. 


RESIDENCE    OF    W.    W.    NEUER. 


140 


MEN  Or  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


ROBERT  N.  BULLA. 


IT  IS  interesting  in  reviewing  the  careers  of  men  who  have 
made  signal  successes  in  oil  and  mining  in  the  Southwest 
to  note  the  various  stations  in  life  from  which  they  come. 
While  Fortune  has  chosen  her  sponsors  from  all  ranks  of 
society,  as  established  by  difference  of  means  and  education, 
it  is  a  conspicuous  fact  that  the  favored  ones  represent,  as  a 
rule,  the  conservative,  persevering  and  deserving  element. 
The  subject  of  this  biography  was  possessed  of  both  financial 
and  educational  resources  before  he  entered  the  active  field 
of  industry,  and  is  one  whose  experience  has  evidenced  a 
marked  fitness  for  the  obligations  imposed  by  success. 

Robert  N.  Bulla  is  an  Indianian,  having  been  born  near 
Richmond,  in  1852.  He  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  that 
his  grandfather  had  carved  out  of  the  western  wilderness, 
when  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  he  had 
emigrated  to  that  portion  of  the  country  from  North  Caro- 
lina. Young  Bulla's  boyhood 
was  passed  upon  the  farm  until 
he  attained  his  eighteenth  year, 
at  which  time,  after  having 
received  the  rudiments  of  his 
education  in  the  district  schools 
of  his  native  township,  he  at- 
tended the  National  Univer- 
sity of  Lebanon,  Ohio,  from 
which  institution  of  learning 
he  graduated  with  the  class  of 
'72.  He  early  decided  upon  a 
professional  career,  and  after 
teaching  for  one  year  in  his 
alma  mater  commenced  the 
study  of  the  law.  The  laws 
of  Ohio  at  that  time  made 
it  necessary  to  devote  two 
years  to  the  study  of  law  be- 
fore students  could  be  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  in  the  Centen- 
nial year,  Mr.  Bulla,  then 
twenty-four  years  of  age,  re- 
ceived his  sheepskin  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  the 
great  commonwealth  of  Ohio. 

After  spending  three  years 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Cincinnati,  he  became  a  res- 
ident of  New  York  City,  where 

for  the  following  two  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  work  of 
his  chosen  profession.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  owing 
to  the  ill-health  of  his  wife,  he  was  obliged  to  seek  a  less 
rigorous  climate.  After  traveling  extensively  for  some  time 
he  finally  decided  upon  visiting  San  Francisco.  Coming 
through  by  way  of  Los  Angeles,  in  the  winter  of  1883,  so 
impressed  was  he  with  the  climatic  conditions  and  business 
possibilities  of  the  then  small  town  that  he  remained,  and 
has  since  been  a  permanent  resident. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  this  city  he  became  associated 
with  the  law  firm  of  Bicknel!  &  White,  the  members  of  which 
(Ex-Senator  White  and  Judge  J.  D.  Bicknell)  had  estab- 
lished one  of  the  most  extensive  and  lucrative  practices  on 
the  coast.  During  the  four  years  that  he  was  associated 
with  the  firm  he  devoted  most  of  his  time  to  the  probate 
business  of  the  firm.  In  1887,  when  Los  Angeles  was  expe- 


ROBERT    N.    BULLA 


riencing  its  great  realty  "  boom,"  Mr.  Bulla  made  some 
judicious  purchases  of  realty,  and  acquired  holdings  that 
remained  valuable.  In  1887  he  formed  a  law  partnership 
with  Percy  R.  Wilson,  with  whom  he  continued  in  practice 
for  eleven  years,  only  dissolving  the  partnership  relations 
when  his  various  other  business  ventures  made  it  imperative 
for  him  to  devote  his  entire  time  to  them. 

The  cares  and  responsibilities  of  business  and  financial 
affairs,  however,  never  blinded  Mr.  Bulla  to  the  political 
welfare  of  his  State,  and  in  '93  and  again  in  '95  he  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly,  during  which  time  he  was  appointed 
chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee.  An  interesting  feature 
of  his  election  in  '95  was  the  combination  of  both  Democrats 
and  Populists  against  him,  the  result  being  a  larger  majority 
in  his  favor  than  at  the  preceding  election. 

In   1897,  after  a  nomination  by  acclamation,  he  was  elected 

to  the  State  Senate,  and  he 
again  experienced  that  peculiar 
feature  of  his  political  career — 
an  immense  majority.  While 
Bryan  carried  his  Senatorial 
district  by  8co  votes,  Mr.  Bulla 
received  a  majority  of  iioo 
votes.  His  presence  was  felt  in 
the  Senate  Chamber  of  the 
State  of  California  for  the  en- 
suing four  years,  and  his  record 
was  one  of  pride  to  his  con- 
stituency. He  was  appointed 
a  member  of  the  commit- 
tee to  report  on  the  Torrens 
Land  Transfer  System  of  Aus- 
tralia. For  two  years  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  Code 
Commission,  and  to  this  work 
Senator  Bulla  lent  his  val- 
uable experience  acquired  in 
the  practice  of  the  law  and  in 
the  Legislature.  During  the 
session  of  1899  Mr.  Bulla  was 
a  prominent  candidate  for 
United  States  Senator,  the  bal- 
loting resulting  in  no  election. 
A  short  session  was  called  the 
following  summer  to  elect,  and 
resulted  in  the  choice  of  Hon. 
Thomas  R.  Bard,  Mr.  Bulla 

and  his  friends   contributing   more   than   any   other   influence 
to  that  result. 

Mr.  Bulla  rendered  the  State  a  substantial  service  when  he 
introduced  a  bill  known  as  the  delinquent  tax  law.  After 
the  first  introduction,  and  having  passed  both  Houses,  it  was 
vetoed  by  the  Governor.  Again  at  the  next  session  Mr.  Bulla 
renewed  his  labors  for  its  enforcement  and  was  rewarded 
for  his  efforts  by  having  it  favorably  passed  upon  by  both 
Houses  and  also  by  the  Governor.  The  full  impprt  of  the 
bill  can  best  be  appreciated  when  it  is  known  that  California 
is  the  only  State  in  the  Union  that  has  made  so  wise  a  pro- 
vision in  regard  to  its  delinquent  tax  laws.  Formerly  tax 
buyers  would  secure  titles  to  pieces  of  property  when  sold 
for  delinquent  taxes,  and  had  ever  opportunity  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  owners.  By  the  enactment  of  this  law,  which 
happily  is  in  force  today,  the  State  buys  the  land  and  allows 


.MEN  OP  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


141 


the    owners    to    redeem    it    at    actual    cost,    and    reasonable 
penalties. 

During  the  last  few  years  that  he  was  engaged  in  practice 
he  made  something  of  a  specialty  of  mining  law,  and  was 
brought  into  close  touch  with  mining  and  oil  men,  thus  afford- 
ing him  many  opportunities  for  investment.  Rut  he  was  not 
hasty  in  taking  up  the  many  propositions  that  were  presented 
to  him,  and  when  he  did  acquire  an  oil  property  it  was  after 


Mr.  Bulla  has  retired  from  the  practice  of  law  and  devotes 
his  entire  time  to  the  interests  of  his  oil  companies.  He  has 
erected  one  of  the  handsomest  and  most  artistic  residences  in 
the  city.  The  accompanying  engravings  will  show  the  dis- 
tinctly Mission  style  of  architecture  which  has  been  incorpo- 
rated in  the  building.  The  effect  is  most  pleasing  and  most 
appropriate  for  this  climate,  being  warm  in  winter  and  cool 
in  summer.  The  Mission  style  of  architecture,  as  will  be 


TYPICAL    SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA    HOME— RESIDENCE    OF    ROBERT    N.     BULLA. 


the  same  conservative  and  mature  deliberation  with  which 
he  would  consider  a  point  at  law.  He  organized  several  oil 
companies,  chief  of  which  is  the  Central  Oil  Company  of  Los 
Angeles,  of  which  he  is  secretary,  while  Mr.  W.  W.  Neuer  is 
president.  The  company  owns  2200  acres  of  oil  land  in  the 
Whittier  district,  and  has  been  a  dividend  payer  and  heavy 
producer  for  some  time.  A  complete  article  on  the  property 
with  appropriate  illustrations  of  the  surface  improvements 
will  be  found  in  another  portion  of  this  volume  in  an 
article  on  the  oil  industry. 


noticed,  embodies  arches  and  straight  lines,  all  fanciful 
designs  being  abstnt;  the  tout  ensemble  is  most  effective.  Hi 
has  a  library  of  some  2000  volumes  at  his  residence,  while 
his  law  library  is  in  evidence  at  his  offices.  Mr.  Bulla  is  a 
member  of  the  California,  Sunset,  Union  League  and 
Country  Clubs,  and  also  many  of  the  various  organizations 
whose  object  is  for  bettering  conditions  of  city  and  State. 
While  among  the  most  active  political  workers  in  Los  An- 
geles, he  is  in  no  sense  an  office-seeker,  but  takes  a  prom- 
inent part  in  promoting  the  interests  of  the-city. 


142 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


THOMAS  HUGHES. 


SINCE  the  days  of  '49  California  has  drawn  upon  the 
brain  and  brawn  of  the  older-settled  Eastern  States  for 
her  population,  with  the  result  that  she  is  today  peopled 

with  the  most  ambitious  and  progressive  of  the  young  men 
of  the  East  —  men  who  had  the  courage  and  hardihood  to 
make  the  tedious  sea  voyage  or  the  fortitude  to  stand  the 
hardships  of  the  overland  trail,  and  Southern  California  and 

Los  Angeles,  in  particular,  still  attract  the  eastern  men  in 
these  days  of  luxurious  transcontinental  travel  when  the  trip 
is  made  from  coast  to  coast  in  less  than  four  days.  The 
result  is  that  there  are  few  more  cosmopolitan  cities  in  the 
United  States  than  ours.  While  Southern  California  pos- 
sesses many  natural  advantages  and  resources  as  exploited  in 

this  work,  the  writer 
realizes  that  to  the  busi- 
ness men  who  have  in- 
vested their  own  means 
and  interested  others  in 
the  development  of  her 
latent  natural  resources 
belong  the  credit  for  the 
marvelous  record  Los 
Angeles  has  established 
for  the  past  two  decades, 
and  it  is  therefore  with 
pleasure  that  we  present 
the  accompanying  brief 
sketch  of  one  who  will 
be  recognized  as  fore- 
most and  pre-eminent  in 
advancing  the  general 
welfare  of  this  section  of 
the  State. 

A  Pennsylvania!!  by 
birth,  Thomas  Hughes 
made  his  debut  upon  the 
stage  of  life  on  the  old 
Hughes  homestead  in 
Green  county,  Pa.,  about 
forty  miles  south  of 
smoky  old  Pittsburgh. 
As  a  boy  he  early  devel- 
oped those  sturdy  attri- 
butes of  character  which 
have  marked  his  career 
through  life.  Self-reliant 
and  possessed  of  an  in- 
domitable will,  Thomas 
Hughes  equipped  himself 
for  life's  battles  by  serv- 
ing an  apprenticeship  in  his  father's  planing  mill  on  the 
banks  of  the  Monongahela.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  being  an 
ambitious  youth,  he  determined  to  try  his  fortunes  in  the 
broader  fields  of  the  West.  Eighteen  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  found  Kansas,  New  Mexico  and  the  Southwest  in 
rather  a  crude  condition.  The  great  Santa  Fe  system  had 
just  been  built  into  those  States  and  Territories  and  business 
conditions  were  good.  It  was  around  Albuquerque,  Las 
Vegas,  Clifton  and  other  busy  frontier  towns  of  the  embryo 
State  that  young  Hughes  found  employment  as  millwright 
and  in  railroad  work,  for  the  ensuing  four  or  five  years. 
Working  for  a  salary,  however,  was  never  a  part  of  Hughes' 


ideas  of  self-reliance,  and  he  determined  to  enter  business  for 
himself  at  the  first  opportunity. 

The  year  1884  found  Los  Angeles  the  same  little  pueblo  that 
it  had  been  for  the  preceding  ten  years.  At  that  time  there 
was  little  evidence  of  the  feverish  activity  that  was  so  soon 
to  be  witnessed  here,  but  Thomas  Hughes,  with  the  business 
foresight  of  few  others,  saw  the  possibilities  presented,  and 
decided  to  cast  his  anchor  in  the  little  city  of  less  than  15.000 
souls.  His  first  work  was  secured  in  a  local  planing  mill, 
and  he  held  the  position  until  two  years  later,  when  he  had 
saved  enough  to  purchase  machinery  of  his  own  and  start  into 
business  on  his  own  account,  in  1886,  at  the  very  commence- 
ment of  the  great  building  boom  that  started  at  that  time  and 

has  continued,  with  but 
short  intermissions,  since. 
Success  attended  his 
efforts  from  the  start. 
Each  succeeding  year 
found  the  business  ex- 
panding and  growing 
under  the  active  personal 
management  of  Mr. 
Hughes,  until  today  over 
one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  men  find  sttady  em- 
ployment in  the  mills  of 
the  Hughes  Bros.  Sash 
and  Door  Factory.  Thr 
manufactured  product  is 
shipped  to  many  eastern 
points,  Denver,  Colo.,  tak- 
ing a  large  portion  of  the 
sash  and  doors  manufac- 
tured from  the  famous 
sugar  pine  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains  in 
the  vicinity  of  Fresno 
and  Madera. 

The  year  1894  marks 
the  beginning  of  an 
epoch  in  oil  annals  in  the 
State,  for  it  was  about 
that  year  Los  Angeles 
made  her  debut  into  the 
oil  world.  Born  and 
raised  in  the  heart  of  the 
great  oil  regions  of  West- 
ern Pennsylvania,  Mr. 
Hughes  while  a  boy  be- 
came conversant  with  oil 

mining  and  the  method  of  production,  and  it  is  not  surprising 
that  we  find  him  on  the  ground  in  the  very  beginning.  A 
small  amount  of  work  had  been  done  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake 
Shore  avenue,  and,  in  fact,  but  fourteen  wells  had  been  sunk 
when  Mr.  Hughes  was  attracted  to  the  district,  while  today 
there  are  over  1300  wells  in  the  city  limits,  and  the  annual 
production  in  the  State  has  increased  from  783.078  barrels  in 
1894  to  25,000,000  barrels  in  1903.  In  association  with  one 
or  two  business  acquaintances,  Mr.  Hughes  lost  no  time  in 
acquiring  an  interest  in  the  new  fields.  The  first  company 
formed  was  the  American  Oil  Company,  and  active  develop- 
ment work  soon  followed  its  organization.  So  successful 


THOMAS    HUGHES. 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


143 


were  the  efforts  made  that  Mr.  Hughes,  becoming  convinced 
of  the  permanency  of  the  district,  devoted  more  and  more  time 
to  the  oil  business,  until  today  he  has  holdings  in  many  of 
the  best  fields  of  the  State.  Following  the  formation  of 
the  American  Oil  Company,  came  the  formation  of  a  number 
of  others  during  the  following  few  years,  all  in  the  same  dis- 
trict, many  of  which  are  among  the  most  successful  of  the 
field  and  are  a  large  factor  in  swelling  the  total  of  local 
production. 

Among  the  most  valuable  of  Mr.  Hughes's  holdings  in  the 
State  is  the  Fullerton  Oil  Company,  which  company  owns 
fiily  acres  in  fee.  in  the  heart  of  the  Fullerton  field.  The 
company  was  formed  by  Messrs.  Hughes  and  Valentine,  and 
has  established  an  enviable  record  as  a  producer,  being  cred- 
ited with  from  $6500  to  $7500  a  month. 

As  new  districts  were  opened  in  various  sections  of  the 
State,  Mr.  Hughes  personally  inspected  the  merits  of  each, 


fornia  and  large  fortunes  will  be  made  in  the  years  to  come, 
but  to  men  who  invested  their  means  in  the  development  of 
the  industry  too  much  credit  cannot  be  given  for  the  tenac- 
ity and  perseverance  which,  in  spite  of  numerous  obstacles, 
won  in  the  struggle  for  supremacy.  Mr.  Hughes  is  a  pioneer 
in  the  various  fields  in  which  he  operates,  and  while  con- 
servative in  all  his  investments,  he  is  among  the  most  active 
and  progressive  oil  men  in  the  city,  and  State  as  well.  He 
has  associated  with  him  in  a  number  of  his  companies  some 
of  the  most  wealthy  and  influential  bankers  and  business  men 
of  this  city. 

The  career  of  Thomas  Hughes  records  a  series  of  progres- 
sive moves.  It  was  his  role  in  life's  drama  to  rise  and 
advance ;  hence,  it  is  but  in  the  nature  of  sequence  that  two 
years  after  reaching  Los  Angeles,  a  mere  lad  in  years,  he  is 
the  proprietor  of  a  fully-equipped  planing  mill,  and  a  few 
years  later  he  is  among  the  most  successful  oil  operators  in 


L 


and,  when  conditions  justified,  invested  freely  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  industry  that  has  placed  California  well  to  the 
front  as  an  oil-producing  State.  Possibly  the  most  conspic- 
uous and  successful  of  Mr.  Hughes's  exploitations  was  the 
opening  up  of  the  highly-productive  Santa  Maria  district  in 
Santa  Barbara  county.  Although  one  hundred  miles  from  any 
producing  well,  Mr.  Hughes,  in  February,  1901,  located  the 
giound  now  owned  by  the  Western  Union  Oil  Company,  and 
drilled  well  No.  I  of  that  company.  Success  attended  his 
efforts  frcn;  the  start,  and  today  the  Santa  Maria  district  is 
one  of  the  most  important  in  the  State.  The  Western  Union 
Company  is  owned  by  some  of  the  most  prominent  business 
men  and  financiers  of  this  city,  Mr.  Hughes  being  one  of  the 
heaviest  stockholders,  as  well  as  the  original  locator. 
Large  fortunes  have  been  made  in  the  oil  fields  of  Cali- 


RESIDENCE   OF   THOMAS    HUGHES.  _ 

LIBRARY 

the   State  and  a  power  in  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  home. 

Business  and  financial  cares  have  never  blinded  Mr.  Hughes 
to  the  political  welfare  of  his  city  and  State.  Endowed  with 
rare  business  acumen,  and  the  possessor  of  exceptional  execu- 
tive ability,  he  has  made  his  presence  felt  in  both  local  and 
State  politics  for  a  number  of  years,  not  from  the  standpoint 
of  an  office-seeker,  for  Mr.  Hughes  has  steadily  declined 
nominations,  but  in  all  his  political  work  he  has  been  actuated 
by  a  desire  to  see  the  best  results  obtained,  and  is  an  ardent 
supporter  of  the  tenets  of  the  Republican  party. 

Coming  to  California  without  capital  or  friends  two  decades 
ago,  he  has  demonstrated  the  value  of  energy,  foresight  and 
pluck  in  building  up  a  profitable  business.  He  is  in  the  truest 
sense  of  the  word  a  self-made  man,  and  the  many  striking 
instances  Los  Angeles  affords  boast  no  better  example. 


RESIDENCE    OF     PIETRA     L.     SCHIAPPA. 


MEN  01-  ACHinri-Ml-.NT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


145 


RESIDENCE    OF    N.    ().    nAC.C.K. 


RESIDENCE    OK    JOHN    IIRCCKMAN. 


146 


MEN  OF  ACHIEVEMENT  IN  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


WILSON   CAMPBELL  PATTERSON. 


FATE  has  played  some  merry  pranks  upon  Wilson  Camp- 
bell Patterson,  albeit  the  whimsical  dame  has  ever 
cherished  for  him  a  tender  regard.  Imagine  a  man 
whose  every  ambition  was  to  adopt  a  professional  career, 
with  never  a  thought  of  commercial  pursuits ;  whose  very 
nature,  in  fact,  seemed  to  him  unfitted  for  such  a  life,  being 
actually  thrust  into  business  and  succeeding  at  every  step. 
This  will  give  an  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  Fate  has  toyed 
with  this  man.  Away  back  in  boyhood  days  on  the  old  Ohio 
farm  that  was  his  birthplace,  the  lad's  earliest  ambition  was 
to  study  for  the;  ministry.  That  in  itself  would  stamp  him 
as  being  quite  different  from  the  average  run  of  boys 

The   boyhood  ;days   of   the   lad   were   spent   on   the    family 


WILSON     CAMPBELL    PATTERSON. 

homestead  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  where  young  Patterson 
attended  the  district  schools,  and  later  to  attend  the  Academy 
at  South  Salem,  Ohio,  he  walked  the  distance  (three  miles) 
morning  and  afternoon,  paying  for  his  tuition  by  the  wood 
thaj  he  cut  after  school  hours,  and  by  various  odd  chores. 
The  boy  remained  upon  the  old  farm,  attending  school  and 
the;  academy  when  he  could,  and  working  hard  at  all  times, 
until  1863,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  First  Ohio  Volunteer 
Heavy  Artillery  as  a  private.  He  had  tried  to  enlist  the  pre- 
viojjs  year,  but  was  rejected  on  account  of  his  youth  and 
because  he  was  below  the  required  stature.  He  bided  his 
time,  ,and  just  as  soon  as  he  had  added  the  necessary  inches 
to  his  height  he  entered  the  service.  He  was  placed  on 
detached  duty  as  clerk  in  division  headquarters,  and  con- 
tinued in  that  capacity  until  the  close  of  the  war,  refusing 
a  commission  as  lieutenant  that  was  offered  him  merely 
because  he  lacked  confidence  in  himself,  and  because  he  pre- 
ferred the  less  remunerative  clerkship. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Patterson  returned  to  his 
home.  His  funds  becoming  exhausted,  he  found  it  necessary 
to  accept  a  position  as  country  school  teacher  for  a  term. 
Still  determined  to  prepare  himself  for  college,  and  with  that 
end  in  view,  he  attended  the  Salem  academy  six  months.  In 
1866  he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  County  Treasurer's 
office,  and  the  following  year  became  deputy  clerk  of  the 
county  court.  All  this  time  he  worked  with  the  one  object 


of  saving  money  to  carry  him  through  college.  At  the  same 
time  he  was  seized  with  an  impulse  to  become  a  lawyer. 

One  day  in  1869  Mr.  Patterson  met  a  member  of  a  firm 
of  wholesale  grocers  in  Chillicothe,  who  asked  him  if  he 
could  keep  books.  His  experience  in  the  army  clerical  posi- 
tion had  specially  fitted  him  for  such  a  position,  but  his 
natural  modesty  held  him  back.  Finally  he  was  persuaded 
to  accept  the  position  of  bookkeeper  for  the  firm  of  Clarke  & 
Boggs,  afterward  M.  Boggs  &  Co.,  and  that  proved  the  turn- 
ing point  in  his  life,  for  after  a  few  years'  service  he  realized 
that  he  was  destined  for  a  mercantile  career,  and  reluctantly 
abandoning  his  hope  of  a  college  education  and  admittance 
to  the  bar,  devoted  himself  to  his  business.  He  remained 
with  the  firm  nineteen  years,  rising  to  the  position  of  assistant 
manager.  In  the  meantime  he  had  been  drawn  into  public 
affairs  in  Chillicothe,  and  served  as  a  member  and  president 
of  the  Board  of  Education  for  twelve  years.  Long  years  of 
close  attention  to  his  manifold  duties  shattered  his  health, 
and  in  January,  1888,  Mr.  Patterson  came  to  Los  Angeles  to 
recuperate.  So  beneficial  did  he  find  the  climatic  conditions 
that  he  determined  upon  making  this  city  his  home,  and  soon 
found  an  opportunity  to  engage  in  business,  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  the  wholesale  commission  firm  of  Curtis  &  Patterson. 
Later  Dr.  John  Hancock  was  taken  into  partnership,  and  in 
1890  Mr.  Curtis  withdrew,  the  firm  name  being  changed  to 
W.  C.  Patterson  &  Co. 

In  1898,  although  he  had  never  owned  a  share  of  the  bank's 
stock,  the  directors  of  the  Los  Angeles  National  Bank  ten- 
dered Mr.  Patterson  the  position  of  president  of  that  time- 
honored  institution,  to  take  the  place  of  the  late  Maj.  Bone- 
brake.  Devoid  of  experience  as  a  banker,  Mr.  Patterson  was 
strongly  inclined  to  decline  the  proffer.  He  asked  for  time 
to  consider  the  matter,  and  it  was  granted.  After  due  delib- 
eration and  presenting  the  matter  to  his  wife,  he  was  pre- 
vailed upon  to  accept  the  responsibility.  The  ability  displayed 
in  the  management  of  the  bank's  affiairs  has  been  shown  in 
the  increase  in  the  bank's  business,  which  has  nearly  trebled 

Since  his  arrival  in  this  city  Mr.  Patterson  has  been  iden- 
tified with  all  public  movements,  and  few  men  have  given  so 
generously  of  their  time  and  private  fortune  as  he.  In  1890 
he  was  elected  a  director  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  serving  until 
'92,  when  he  was  made  president.  He  was  made  a  director 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  '94,  president  of  that  body 
in  '95  and  again  in  '96,  and  is  still  closely  identified  with  its 
best  interests.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  fight  for  the  San 
Pedro  Harbor  from  its  inception,  and  in  February,  1896,  was 
sent  to  Washington  with  Gen.  Harrison  Gray  Otis,  W.  G. 
Kerckhoff  and  W.  D.  Woolwine  to  present  the  matter  to  the 
House  Committee  on  Rivers  and  Harbors.  Again  in  April 
of  the  same  year  he  left  his  business  and  own  private  affairs 
to  visit  the  nation's  capital  as  chairman  of  a  similar  com- 
mittee composed  of  Henry  T.  Hazard,  Judge  A.  M.  Stephens 
and  Henry  Hawgood,  to  present  the  matter  before  the  Senate 
Commerce  Committee.  To  the  efforts  of  these  committees 
and  the  personal  efforts  of  Senator  Stephen  M.  White,  is 
due  much  of  the  credit  for  winning  the  harbor  fight,  which 
means  so  much  to  Los  Angeles  and  all  Southern  California. 

Mr.  Patterson  has  the  happy  faculty  of  making  and  retain- 
ing friends  entirely  aside  from  his  business  ability.  His 
nature  is  thoroughly  sympathetic  and  artistic.  The  esteem  he 
inspires  in  private  life  finds  a  counterpart  in  the  confidence 
with  which  he  is  regarded  by  all  who  have  the  pleasure  'of 
business  relations  with  him. 


RESIDENCE    OF    W.    H.    ALLEN,    JR. 


148 


MEN  Ol<  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


WILLIAM   PRIDHAM. 


WILLIAM     PRIDHAM     i.,     a     native      of      America's 
metropolis,   having  been   born    in    New    York   City, 
September    I,    1832.     His    early    education     was     ac- 
quired  in    the   public   schools   of   his   native   city,   and   at   an 
academy  at  Amsterdam,   N.   Y.,  where  he  completed  his  col- 
legiate education  at  the  age  of  eighteen.     Stories  of  the  gol- 
den  days   of   California   were   then   heard   upon    every   hand, 
and  the  ambitious  youth,  after  carefully  debating  the  matter, 


WILLIAM    PRIUHAM. 

decided  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  the  West.  Leaving  New 
York  in  November  of  '50,  he  journeyed  by  way  of  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama  to  California,  arriving  in  San  Francisco  on  Christ- 
mas day  of  1850. 

Having  arrived  in  'Frisco,  he  became  connected  with  the 
wholesale  firm  of  Pinto,  Tay  £  Co.,  in  the  capacity  of  clerk, 
and  held  that  position  for  two  years,  when  the  mining 


excitement  proved  too  strong  to  be  longer  resisted,  and 
quitting  the  employ  of  the  firm,  he  made  his  way  with  his 
little  capital  to  the  Bear  River  country,  where  for  the  ensuing 
few  months  he  was  engaged  in  placer  mining  in  the  primitive 
methods  in  vogue  in  those  days.  Not  meeting  with  the  suc- 
cess he  had  anticipated,  young  Pridham  moved  to  Sacramento, 
where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  wholesale  drug  firm  of 
R.  H.  McDonald  &  Co.  The  duties  of  his  new  position  held 
him  until  1862,  when  he  had  an  opportunity  to  become  identi- 
fied with  the  Wells,  Fargo  Express  Company,  at  that  time 
branching  out  extensively  into  the  new  mining  districts  of 
Nevada.  His  first  position  was  at  Carson  City,  where  he 
remained  a  short  time  before  being  transferred  to  the  lively 
camp  of  Austin,  in  the  same  State.  During  the  four  years 
that  he  remained  in  Nevada  before  accepting  the  position  of 
forwarding  clerk  in  the  San  Francisco  office  of  the  company, 
he  had  familiarized  himself  with  the  details  of  the  business 
that  came  under  his  observation,  and  two  years  after  accept- 
ing the  responsibilities  of  forwarding  clerk  in  the  San  Fran- 
cisco office,  he  was  sent  to  Los  Angeles  to  adjust  affairs 
incidental  to  a  change  of  agents  in  the  local  office 

At  the  time  of  Mr.  Pridham's  first  visit  to  Los  Angel'. s,  he 
found  little  but  a  straggling  pueblo,  made  up  largely  of 
adobes,  and  all  located  in  and  around  Temple  street  and  the 
Plaza.  He  had  not  long  been  a  resident  of  the  city  before  he 
saw  the  possibilities  which  awaited  the  sleepy  little  town,  and, 
becoming  impressed  with  its  desirability  as  a  business  and 
residence  section,  he  decided  to  cast  his  fortunes  with  it. 
Wells,  Fargo  &  Co.  at  that  time  were  operating  on  the  coast 
steamers  semi-monthly  and  by  stage  to  San  Francisco,  the 
latter  occupying  three  days  and  three  nights.  Stages  also  ran 
to  San  Bernardino,  San  Diego  and  Kcrnville,  now  known  as 
Bakcrsfield.  He  relates  many  amusing  anecdotes  of  early 
days  in  the  community,  and  has  a  fund  of  reminiscences  which 
prove  most  interesting. 

After  having  been  identified  with  the  company  for  a  period 
of  nearly  a  half  century,  he  still  is  among  their  most  active 
superintendents.  His  experience  has  covered  the  greater  part 
of  the  State  of  California  and  has  encompassed  every  detail 
of  the  great  business.  He  is  an  active  citizen,  and  one  ever 
alive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  community. 


A   PRACTICAL  MINING   MAN. 


It  is  said  that  geniuses  are  born,  not  mad; ;  mine  superin- 
tendents are  made.  There  is  no  natal  gift  directing  the 
current  of  their  careers,  unless  industry  and  ambition  may 
be  counted  their  heritage.  To  become  a  competent  mining 
superintendent  requires  years  of  experience  in  practical  min- 
ing. Mine  superintendents  are  not  created  on  the  instant. 
Almost  without  exception  superintendents  who  have  won 
sufficient  prominence  to  secure  charge  cf  an  important  prop- 
erty have  risen  from  the  station  of  the  ordinary  miner.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  no  exception  to  the  rule,  and  his 
experiences  recount  in  a  way  those  of  most  other  miners. 

Charles  A.  Stephens's  mining  career  began  in  79  in  the 
Black  Hills,  where  he  commenced  work  at  15  years  of  age, 
on  the  celebrated  Homestake  mine.  From  there  he  went  to 
New  Mexico,  where  for  three  years  he  was  mill  foreman  for 
the  Chita  Gold  Mining  Company,  whose  mines  are  sixty  miles 


from  Albuquerque.  After  his  ten  years'  experience  in  the 
Homestake  mines,  during  which  time  he  had  held  every 
position  from  common  "  mucker  "  to  that  of  shift  boss  and 
foreman  of  the  mill,  he  was  certainly  capable  of  assuming 
the  duties  undertaken  at  the  Chita. 

His  introduction  to  the  Gold  Roads  mine  came  at  a  time 
when  the  shaft  was  down  but  140  feet  and  the  property  prac- 
tically a  prospect.  He  remained  in  charge  of  the  property 
until  after  the  extensive  improvements  contemplated  had 
been  made,  and  thoroughly  opened  the  Gold  Roads  up.  Like 
most  practical  mining  men  of  the  Southwest,  Mr.  Stephens 
has  devoted  considerable  time  to  prospecting,  during  which 
expeditions  he  has  covered  a  large  portion  of  the  mining 
regions  of  the  Western  States,  and  thereby  gained  a  fund 
of  information  that  places  him  among  the  best-informed 
mining  men  of  the  Southwest. 


MEN  Ol'  ACHIEVEMENT  IN   THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST. 


149 


WILLIAM  H.  WORKMAN. 


W 

made  on 
tions  of 

Until  he- 
attended 
taking  a 


II.L1AM  II.  WORKMAN  was  born  in  Booneville, 
Missouri,  in  i8.?Q.  He  was  the  son  of  pioneers  in 
tin-  Missouri  country,  and  the  Indian  raids  frequently 
the  brave  settlers  of  that  State  form  vivid  recollec- 
Mr.  Workman's  review  of  those  boyhood  years, 
was  fifteen  years  old  he  lived  in  Boonville  and 
the  public  schools  there  as  opportunity  offered,  later 
course  at  F.  G.  Kemper's  Collegiate  Institute. 


WILLIAM    H.  WORKMAN. 

In  the  year  1854,  with  his  parents,  young  Workman  came 
to  California.  Coming  to  Los  Angeles,  Mr.  Workman 
and  his  brother,  Elijah  H.  Workman,  established  a  harness 
and  saddlery  business,  which  they  conducted  with  success  for 


over  twenty  years.  In  the  early  years  of  his  residence  htre 
Mr.  Workman  acquired  extensive  realty  holdings  on  the 
beautiful  highlands  east  of  the  Los  Angeles  River.  Here 
Andrew  Boyle,  father-in-law  of  Mr.  Workman,  was  the  first 
white  settler,  and  his  old  brick  house,  built  in  1858,  stands 
today  one  of  the  historical  landmarks  of  Boyle  avenue 

Mr.  Workman,  after  retiring  from  the  saddlery  business, 
devoted  his  energies  to  the  development  of  Boyle  Heights. 
He  was  one  of  the  projectors  of  the  first  street  railway  into 
that  territory.  It  was  also  through  his  efforts  that  the  Cum- 
mings-strect  car  line  was  built.  Not  content  with  these  lines 
of  transportation,  Mr.  Workman  carried  on  negotiations  with 
the  Hook  brothers,  and  eventually  succeeded  in  inducing 
them  to  build  on  Fourth  street  through  Boyle  Heights,  giving 
them  a  bonus  of  $20,000. 


RESIDENCE   OF   FREDERICK   RINDGE. 


RESIDENCE    OF    W.     f.    BOTSFCRD. 

Mr.  Workman  has  made  many  generous  gifts  to  the  various 
churches  and  charitable  enterprises.  He  donated  to  the 
Methodists,  Episcopalians,  Presbyterians,  Catholics  and  Bap- 
tists lots  for  their  church  edifices.  In  connection  with  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Hollenbeck  he  donated  to  the  city  Hollenbeck  Park. 

During  the  years  of  1887  and  1888  he  ably  served  the  city 
as  its  Mayor.  He  has  held  many  other  positions  of  trust  and 
honor,  and  twice  has  he  been  elected  by  large  majorities  to  the 
office  of  City  Treasurer 

Mr.  Workman  is  an  active  member  and  was  president 
three  terms  of  the  Los  Angeles  County  Pioneers'  Association, 
and  takes  deep  interest  in  the  preservation  of  early  historical 
data.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Los  Angeles  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  has  always  maintained  a  prominent  place  in  the 
advancement  of  the  larger  interests  of  the  city. 

Politically  he  has  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party,  but 
in  his  official  career  he  has  received  the  support  and  indorse- 
ment of  members  of  both  political  parties ;  and  by  his  election 
to  the  important  office  which  he  now  holds  he  has  received  an 
indorsement  such  as  would  be  gratifying  to  any  one. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 


The  author  of  the  historical  portion  of  this  work  acknowl- 
edges his  indebtedness  to  J.  M.  Guinn  of  L,os  Angeles, 
whose  careful  researches  into  original  sources  make  him 
facile  princeps  among  historical  authorities  in  Southern 
California. 


